Countdown to V Day Cupid's Lil 'Ut Oh!
by Breath-of-twilight
Summary: Continuation of the countdowns- full of lemony goodness and hilarity for all. 'Ut Ohs' for everyone. 15 authors -so far- 15 one shots- one collaborated works at the end!
1. Chapter 1

**Countdown to V-Day**

**Cupid's Lil 'Ut Oh'**

**Wow, hard to believe we are already into the third countdown.**

**This one will be a bit different from the other two- still full of Lemony goodness, but also much hilarity. Hence the "ut oh" part of the title.**

**As of date there are 15 authors- 15 one shots- which means, as before, on the days when u lovely readers are feeling overly generous with your reviews. You get an extra one shot.**

**This is NOT a competition, it is a bunch of authors – seasoned and newbies alike- getting together and doing what it is we love to do- write!**

**It is also a fantastical place for readers to find new writers all in one place without having to hunt for them.**

**The only way we have to show our appreciation, and thoughts and hell, just even that we were here is by reviewing. So be kind and take a moment of your time to review.**

**If you would like to submit an 'add on' one shot for this please contact me ASAP for the dets and rules.**

**Current Line Up-**

**Breath-of-twilight**

**Lindsi Loolabell**

**Lauren Danielle**

**SpyKid18**

**Wisher Tales**

**I'mwiththevampires08**

**Vampgirl18**

**HunterHunting**

**Covermeinfeathers**

**Wndrngy**

**BellaRosa17**

**IrunwithCullens316**

**Amery Marie**

**Cydryna Marie**

**Snshyne**

**This will obviously begin posting on February 1****st**** – the 13****th**** with the collab- following off where it ended in the Christmas Countdown, posting starting the 14****th****.**

**Any changes or modifications will be done here. So check back for any additions to the line-up or alterations to the current line-up.**

**Happy New Year**

**xx**


	2. Black Sunday

**HOST NOTE: Here it is. Late in the day, I know. My apologies. But I promise all remaining one shots will be posted much earlier in the day. Promise!**

**The next countdown and the last one until Halloween, is already in the making. There are a few more sports to be filled. So if you are interested, know someone who might be interested in participating, please pass the info along and PM me as soon as possible.**

**Please remember ALL stories posted on here are rated M. And also, the author will be posted at the end of the one shot. **

**Without further ado I give you: The Countdown to V-Day, Cupid's lil 'ut oh'!**

**Enjoy!**

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**Black Sunday**

**EPOV**

"This is preposterous, I am not fucking cupid. What the hell is she thinking, the evil little pixie cherub, sending me, Edward Bad-Boy Cullen, the black angel and the only of my kind, to earth to play cupid with that pathetic, mousy human girl?" I was ranting! I was manic! I was furious, and I looked stark raving mad and knew it! But I couldn't bring myself to care how crazy I looked frantically pacing the halls in the 'Hall of Love'. Alice, the craziest cherub of them all was also the 'Mother of Punishment' and she had decided my punishment was to be banished to earth, of all places, to help a human girl fall in love. She had to be mad. I barely conversed with angels and cherubs alike without conflict, how did she expect me to manage to be civil to a measly human?

"I am sorry, Mr. Cullen, Ms. Brandon is currently in a meeting. Can I take a message and have her call you to set up an appointment?" The tooth-achingly sweet secretary asked me as she pushed her thick framed glasses back up her nose, again.

"No, and I have no intention of leaving here without seeing her, so I suggest you get on that little, pink bejeweled phone of yours and tell Ms. Brandon to get her tiny annoying ass down here…NOW!" I sneered, leaning forward and placing both my palms on the white marble desk. The venom in my voice was thick, and the look on my face could be construed as nothing less than pure evil.

The poor unfortunate mouse-like angel, who just happened to be working today, looked as if she had just wet her panties. I snickered, I was never one to be nice and wasn't about to start now, not even with Ms. Superior pants' secretary.

The girl, Angela Webber, according to her name tag, picked up her phone with shaky hands and once again called up to Alice's office.

**BPOV**

I like to think I am a nice person, kind, caring, compassionate and friendly enough. I knew I was smart; I was in all AP classes. I could do intense math equations in my sleep, edit any written material put in front of me to perfection and tell you almost anything there is to know about any substantial event, person, or thing in the human race's vast history. I was well versed in the written word; in fact, literature of any kind was my preference. I could spend all day lost in a book, whether it be history, horror, or romance. It all captured me; drew me in and left me yearning for more. I was attractive, kind of. I had long dark brown hair that fell in waves down my back, almost reaching my waist, big, expressive, yet plain, brown eyes, and an okay figure. Size 8 was considered okay, right? However, apparently all of that didn't matter in today's society. I was a black sheep among my peers, if for no other reason than the fact that I was different. I dressed differently than the other kids at school, spoke differently than them and worst of all saw things differently than them. I was a freak at best, an intelligent, slightly attractive, black sheep of a freak. My mother likes to say it is because I have wisdom way beyond my years. I read my first book when I was two, Charlotte's Web, and hadn't been able to keep my nose out of books since then. I wrote my first novella when I was twelve. My mother published it for me, keeping my identity a secret and never allowing interviews, book signings or any kind of biography. It sold upwards of five-hundred-thousand copies. Must have been pretty damn good. I wonder what those readers would think if they knew just who wrote the book. Would they have liked it just the same? Still given it a chance? Probably not. They would have laughed, and, without a second glance, left it sitting on the shelf to collect dust.

I have since published four other novellas, all in the same genre, all about the same dreams, all my deepest desires and yet my darkest fears as well.

You see, ever since I can remember, I have had these dreams, fantasies of sorts, about this place, this wonderful, glorious, perfect place. I liked to call it My personal Eden. Silly, I know. But, you have to see this place to understand.

It was bright, always bright. I am not sure if it was the sun or if it was just a bright, illuminating light that consumed the place. The most extraordinary ethereal flowers were everywhere. Flowers I am sure I have never seen before, and trust me, I checked every known flower site on the web, and none of them had ever seen nor heard of the flowers. The air carried the sweetest, most intense, ambrosial scent. Sometimes I would get lost in my dreams just standing in the middle of the vast beauty, inhaling deeply and savoring the delectable taste on my tongue. I know that sounds all wrong, but it is just how it is there, in my personal Eden. Everything there consumes me, surrounds me, and infuses within me. It is almost like I am one with the place. It is heavenly; it is my happy place, _my_ personal Eden. That is until he came there. I don't know exactly what he looks like. I only know he is tall, with a mop of disheveled hair, and the most intense green eyes speckled with black edging, it looked wrong. It was frightening. It was arousing, and it was as if with just one look at me I was pulled to him by some unseen magnetic force. I was scared of him; I wanted to touch him. He made me anxious and fidgety; my whole body quivered from his stare. I physically ached to hear his voice; he was always silent. Once, I am sure he snarled at me. I wanted to tell him not to be scared of me, but I couldn't find my voice. The last time I saw him, he wasn't looking at me at all; he was staring off into the dark side – a side I had yet to venture to, with the most heartbreaking look of despair on his face. I wished I could see him more clearly, make out his features… see his lips. But for some reason he always appeared distorted, like a shimmering blotchy vision or something unattainable, untouchable and flawless. I wanted to take his pain away, but could do nothing to help him. He was like a distant flickering star. The kind you reach out to touch 'cause they are so earth shatteringly beautiful and glimmering with hope, but the second your fingers reach out, almost there, tingling with anticipation, it either fades away or is much further than you originally gauged.

It was maddening. I didn't know why he was in my special place, and I didn't like it one bit. If he was going to haunt me, invade my space, consume my thoughts and leave me feeling like there was some insurmountable void in my chest, the least he could do was say a simple hello.

"Bella, if you don't hurry the hell up, you are going to be late for school." I groaned. Who the hell let Tanya in my room?

"Don't want to; can't make me." I mumbled, rolling over and tugging the warm blankets up over my face.

Awake or not, I didn't want to leave the comfort of me bed. As my mind began to once again wander, I felt my blanket tear from my grasp.

I growled, literally. "Why are you here, Tanya? Don't you have some cock to be sucking pre-bell or something?" I asked smugly. Tanya was my cousin and a whore. She had slept with every willing male at Forks High. Well, every one she considered do-able in her book, at least. And probably some girls, too. It disgusted me; it embarrassed me to be related to her. Yes, a part of me always wondered what it would be like to be _that girl_. The one all the guys wanted and all the girls sadly wished they were. Not that I wanted to be a slut, but maybe, just maybe, for once to be noticed, wanted, desired. That would be nice.

"Come on, get up. Your mom called me and asked me to pick you up today. She took your car into the shop. And, yes, you're right. I do have a sweet-ass cock waiting for me at school. So, hurry the hell up, and let me get to it already."

I huffed in defeat. There was no way to get out of this one. Not if my mom had called her. I groaned as I rolled out of my bed, my body cracking and snapping with each simple movement, and stomped off to the bathroom to get ready.

Ten minutes later we were flying down the road. My hair in a tight pony tail, and my hands wrapped tightly around a steaming thermos of coffee my mom had been gracious enough to make me this morning before she left. Tanya was yammering away on her cell phone and barely paying attention to the road. She swerved sharply as a squirrel darted out into the road and almost hit a car coming in the opposite direction. I inhaled sharply and clamped my eyes shut. Damn, her driving scared the hell out of me.

Once we pulled into the school parking lot, I flew out of the car just grateful to still be alive. Alive to live another torturous day with the mundane students at Forks High, who likely didn't even know I existed.

_Four more months_, I chanted over and over again as I slunk through the front doors of the school; four more months till I'd be out of this God awful place and moving out on my own, writing at my own leisure and never once looking back.

My day went by rather uneventfully. No one said anything to me, and, in return, I said nothing to them. It was perfect, or at least I thought it was, that is until it came time for 'candy grams'. Girls bounced around excitedly as the pimply-faced student president came in carrying a wicker basket crammed full of heart shaped lollypops and foil wrapped chocolate hearts.

As he called out name after name the girls squealed, and the boys smiled smugly. Really, it was almost a twisted kind of mating game. And quite amusing to watch.

Not one candy gram was for me. Three more days till Valentine's Day. Three more days till everything was back to normal, and I wouldn't have to feel this horrible tug of jealousy, of yearning. I didn't need candy grams. I was doing just fine without the added stress of boys and dating.

That night, lying in bed at home, I stared at the ceiling, lost in my thoughts as usual. Wondering why I had to be so different from everyone else. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy my life, 'cause honestly, I was more than happy curling up by the fire with a good book, or my laptop, and just losing myself in another world, a better world. Sometimes, though, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe this place, this life, this world, was just not meant for me. I didn't seem to fit in anywhere, and nothing I had yet to experience had ever brought me true joy. Nothing but my books and my dreams, that is.

"Bella, honey, your dad and I are heading out now. We'll be back by ten." my mom said as she stuck her head in my door and smiled at me.

"Okay, Mom. I'm going to bed soon. Not feeling too well." I mumbled in response. She just nodded and closed the door; she was used to my moods by now, and didn't let them get to her anymore.

That night I dreamed of blazing green eyes and my personal Eden. This time, though, something was off. Something didn't feel right about my perfect place. The darkness was growing and blocking out even more of it. I didn't know why or how, but it was, and I didn't like it one bit. It was cold and consuming and scared the living heck out of me. I woke with a startled gasp, for once not able to describe my dreams to a tee. It was very unsettling and left me feeling wary and unsure.

I trudged through my morning routine, sincerely thankful my car was back, and I wouldn't have to deal with Tanya today. I wasn't in the mood to play nice with her. I wasn't in the mood to play nice with anyone at all. I had huge bags under my red-rimmed eyes, and my head felt like a bowling ball perched on my shoulders, flopping back and forth with each bump of the road, almost lulling me to sleep. The shrill of someone's horn startled me fully awake as I pulled into the parking lot. Holy hell, spend one morning driving with Tanya, and I am already picking up her driving skills.

"Get it together, Bella." I verbally scolded myself, not caring in the least when one of the jocks walked by and gave me an odd look for talking to myself.

Classes today dragged on. The constant buzz about the upcoming dance and some new kid, who had apparently just started today, whirled through the classrooms, leaving a hazy buzzing in my ears. I tried to block it out and succeeded, almost. "Isabella Swan…" Startled out of my musings, I looked up to see some tall blond boy looking at me expectantly. "Ummm, yeah?"

"Your candy gram…" he said, with an annoyed look on his face. What?

I slowly rose from my chair and walked to the front of the room. A candy gram for me? Was this some kind of joke?

I took the red lollypop from him with bated breath, waiting for the catch, the laughs, the chortles. They never came, hushed whispers did, however. The girls speculating who might send the freaky goth girl a candy gram, and the boys all vehemently denying it was any of them.

What the….

I scampered back to my desk my cheeks flaming, and my breath coming in small gasps. This wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't want a candy gram. _Yeah, keep telling yourself that kiddo, but your thumping heart and racing pulse say otherwise._

Class couldn't end soon enough. Wanting to hide from the curious stares, I slouched into my desk and buried my nose in my book, pretending to read, but honestly, not seeing a damn word on the page. My thoughts were too tied up in the tiny red candy on my desk. Who would send me a candy gram?

~~oo~~

Friday began with a bang - literally. I came crashing out of a chest-heaving dream with a hard thud to the floor. Tears were streaming down my face, and, again, I couldn't for the life of me remember my dream. Only one word bounced around in my aching head. Home?

Thankfully no one paid any mind to me today as I wove my way through the hundreds of bodies in the halls.

Bright pink and red cherubs and hearts adorned the hall walls, causing my stomach to clench painfully. It looked like Cupid himself had thrown up all over. It was revolting. I never did understand Valentine 's Day. I mean, what was the appeal? Boys threw themselves at girls they had absolutely no intention of actually loving. If anything, they just wanted to get in their pants. Maybe they should call it 'boinking day'? I snorted in an unladylike way as I swung my locker open and stopped dead in my tracks.

A large, bright pink card fluttered to the floor and landed at my feet. As if it were a poisonous snake, I kicked it away from me, gaping and snapping my mouth open and closed like a fish out of water.

I didn't know what it was, and frankly, I didn't care. I ignored the card and gathered my books from my locker, content with leaving the card there and forgetting the whole incident. "Oh, here, I think you dropped something." A small mousy looking girl handed me back the card.

Well, there goes that plan. "Umm, thanks." I mumbled as I shoved it between my books and took off down the hall.

Third period rolled around, and yet another round of candy grams came with it. None for me this time, thank goodness. I held my breath as the geeky kid at the doorway read off the last name. Not me. And finally released it in a relieved gush.

My shoulders relaxed, and I once again let myself concentrate on the school work in front of me. Not that it was hard, 'cause it wasn't. If anything, it was all too easy. I would have preferred AP classes for all my subjects, however, they did not have one for Science at our school. It was my only regular class, and the students present in it were a strong indication of the deficient teaching by the general education faculty.

Today was open book, thankfully. So I was able to work on my own. I had my work done in a matter of minutes, thus, I spent the rest of my time doodling idly in my sketch book. I was tossing around ideas for my next book cover, Black Sunday. It was ironically about Valentine's Day and a dark angel, one which I had yet to name. It was unsettling for me; usually my stories came so easily. They just flew from me without any thought or struggling involved. This one, however, came all too easily, except the name of the faceless man I envisioned; the dark angel with the sad eyes. It was always the eyes that caught me; they reminded me so much of those in my dreams. The gorgeous man that I knew was breathtaking without even properly seeing. His intense green eyes were burned into my memory almost as if they had imprinted on my very soul.

I decided there had to be wings. I liked the idea of wings. Thick lush, white feathers, tinged with an earthy brown that subtly gave away his status as the dark angel. A way to show his purity and light had been tainted. They were drawn wide as he arched backwards, his muscular arms reaching to the heavens as if hollering at them, using his arms in expression. He was shirtless, with tight rippling muscles flowing endlessly across his torso. Taut and well defined, yet not in a body builder kind of way. Much more alluring and almost lanky. A deep V lead down to hip hugging black pants with silver chains hanging from pocket to pocket. And his back, my God, his back. In my mind I could see it clear as day; dark, intricate, intertwining tattoos covered a vast amount of his back, curling around his sides and ending just before his prominent six pack, the top off them licking up his throat and ending just below his ear. These were the hardest for me. I could see them in my mind's eye. But no matter how many times I drew them, they never looked right. They were missing something, some pertinent piece, and it would remain unfinished, wrong, until it was there.

"Miss Swan?"

I jerked my head up, "Yes?"

These are for you. Snickers erupted throughout the room, followed by curious murmurs and words of disbelief.

Mr. Banner handed me a huge bouquet of some of the most gorgeous black roses I had ever seen, adorned with baby's breath and the perfect added touch of a single white rose peeking out of the top of the bunch. I gasped and felt my eyes water. These were my favorite flowers, favorite shade of color. Nowhere had I ever seen a perfect bouquet. They had to have been custom ordered. Ignoring the curious onlookers, I hastily pulled out the card. _Unique beautiful flowers for a unique beautiful girl._ No signature, no scrawled name, nothing to indicate who had sent them. The bell rang, and still I sat there staring wide-eyed at the overflowing vase. Students piled out of the room anxious to get to lunch or their next class, but not me. I was happy sitting here with my wonderful flowers and never ending questions. Thinking this just had to be a mistake. Some kind of sick joke. There was no way any of the guys in this school could be so thoughtful. Maybe it was my dad? Yeah, that seemed plausible. He was known to be sweet and thoughtful from time to time. I decided that must be it and finally staggered out into the hall.

I ended up bagging fourth period, since I had missed my scheduled lunch. It wasn't such a bad thing really, this meant the cafeteria would be emptier, and, therefore, I could enjoy my lunch in solitude without so much chaos throughout the room.

I put the vase of flowers in the backseat of my car before making my way into the lunch room. I grabbed an apple and a bottle of water from the cafeteria and settled into a corner nook by the window with my drawings.

"Bella?" I looked up, annoyed that someone was bothering me. "Yes." I replied in a clipped tone.

"I just had to tell you how beautiful I think you are. I was sitting across the room, and, when I saw you enter, it just took my breath away. I have never seen such beauty and innocence before. You truly are a glorious creature." I blushed a deep crimson I'm sure. And stared up at him unabashedly, his face was kinda blurry and I wondered if my vision weren't messing with me.

"Uh…thanks?" I stuttered back in response, surprising myself by eye-fucking his chest. With his tightly clung black shirt I could make out almost every defined muscle, and every time he shifted I watched them ripple under the tight fabric. My girlie parts twitched and began to pool.

Some inner sex-hungry goddess I didn't know existed within me decided to show her drooling face as my inner monologue played out vividly; teasing me with images of his strong arms holding me tight while I licked and kissed every inch of him humanly possible.

_Holy shit you're hot. The things I could do to your body with my tongue, or, oh, my hands. God, the things I would try with my hands._

The God-like vision in front of me chuckled deeply. "Well, I am sure that can be arranged, how about we get out of here?" _Huh! Holy shit, I had said that out loud! And God, his voice, so deep and husky, and just, unnngggg._

"Yes, yes, and how lucky I am that you did. I can't say my thoughts aren't quite similar in fashion." He drawled, his voice dropping an octave or two lower, going from c-minor to d- sexy.

_Swoon, sigh, thud. I must have just died and gone to heaven._

With no hesitation what-so-ever, I reached my hand out to his and clamored behind him willingly. Needing to feel him, and not caring that I didn't even know his name. I just needed him.

As soon as we were through the back doors of the school he slammed me up against the wall, his lips crashing into mine in a hungry, dominant kiss. My fingers ran up his sculpted arms and along his neck, till they reached his hair where my fingers twined and tugged and twirled. He grunted into my mouth appreciatively. Hmmm…he likes it rough. One hand was planted on the wall beside me while the other trailed firmly, torturously down my side, grazing my breast as he passed it and causing me to shiver in anticipation. I wanted him to grab my nipples, tug, pinch and tease. It was like the mere presence of him brought out some crazy lioness in me. I couldn't get enough. I pressed myself harder into his body. His rock hard erection pressed into my belly causing bubbles of desire to float through me. I squirmed and struggled, trying to obtain some sort of friction for my aching center.

"Not so fast, beautiful, I want to take my time. Savor you, taste you, make you beg for my cock." He growled in my ear before nipping at it lightly and hissing as I palmed his dick, desperate to feel him, to evoke even an iota of the pleasure he was giving me into him.

I mewled as his fingers joined mine, knowing he was slowly unbuttoning his tight black jeans, allowing me better access, wanting what I could offer. The second I heard the zip my hand made its way into his pants. I trailed my fingers slowly down his happy trail, stopping when they came in contact with warm, soft skin. He was huge, holy shit, was he huge. I had only ever been with one guy before, so I didn't really have a lot to compare him to. But from between what I had seen in books and on TV to the measly experience I had, I knew he was bigger than the average Joe.

I began stroking him as his pants pooled at his ankles. His soft kisses trailing up my neck and his tongue swirling around my ear caused my knees to buckle; if he hadn't had me pressed so tightly against the wall I surely would have puddled to the ground in a whimpering mess of quivering girly bits and flowing arousal. Fuck, I wanted to taste him. I slowly slid down the wall, flinching when the rough brick dug into my back as my shirt rose. I didn't waste any time being tentative and exploring; I just dove right in, taking his full length and swallowing him whole. I had read somewhere once that if you relax your throat muscles you wouldn't gag. I prayed that wasn't a lie and was pleasantly surprised when he slid right to the back of my throat without incident.

"Fuck, baby, your mouth feels so good." I heard him groan as his fingers twined in my hair and began to guide my motions.

Over and over again I swallowed his cock; letting it hit the back of my throat before slowly dragging it back out; my teeth grazing lightly over his skin and my tongue swirling when just the head was left in my mouth.

He began grunting, and I knew he was nearing his release. I didn't want that, did I? If he came in my mouth he would be spent, and my poor kitty–cat would be left wanting.

I slowly pulled back, looking up at him while still on my knees and patted the grass behind me.

He hissed and ground his teeth together, and his eyes they appeared almost black, hooded with lust and desire. I couldn't take it anymore. In one swift motion I popped the button on my jeans and slid the zipper down, watching him watch me. His eyes were so intense, black with specks of green, sparkling with yearning and want. It made my stomach clench and my pussy drool.

I tugged my jeans down to my knees and left them there, leaning forward on all fours, waiting, wanting, hoping he would take me now. But he just continued to watch me. Impatient for friction, for anything, I placed my hand on my quivering bundle of nerves and began stroking it in circles with my fingers. Sliding it down to my dripping pussy and swirling it around the opening before bringing it back up. I closed my eyes and moaned softly at the sensation; momentarily losing myself in the feelings I was eliciting from the simple movements.

"Fuck, baby, yeah, fuck your pussy with your finger. God, it looks so hot. Your juices, shit, you're so wet." My eyes flew open, he wasn't there. He was now behind me. Watching me with hungry eyes. His tongue came out and swiped across his bottom lip. I moaned at the sight and felt my pussy muscles clench as my orgasm spiraled out of control. I added another finger and began thrusting my fingers erratically, rocking back and forth as I rode out my blissful high. Dark speckles were still blocking my vision when I felt him pull my fingers from within me. His hot mouth suckled them in, licking them clean for a moment before he entered me in one fluid thrust. Shit, I was right. He was huge. It didn't hurt, not really. Just felt like I was overfilled, ready to explode.

"So tight, baby, fuck. So warm, fuck, your pussy is fucking sweet. I like my treats tasty and tight." Holy fuck, he was talking dirty to me. Apparently I wasn't the only one who found it fucking hot; I swear my pussy fucking sang as another orgasm ripped through me, momentarily blinding me. No dark specks involved, just pure blackness. "Fuck, you feel so good, clenching around my cock. Do you like it when I fuck you hard and fast, Bella? Do you want me to fill your sweet, hot cunt?"

Again with the cursing, shit. It was so bloody sexy. "Fuck, please. Fuck me. I like it, I like it so much. Please..." My voice came out high and tight as I pushed back, my hands digging into the grass below me. Tearing chunks out from the force of his thrusts.

"Fuck, baby, I'm gonna come. Come with me." He laced his arm around my waist and began circling my throbbing clit with his amazing fingers. I could feel the tightening in my belly coiling and ready to spring; his fingers pinched lightly and threw me over the edge, screaming to the heavens and wishing I knew his name to mix in with the expletives that were rolling off my tongue.

I whimpered as he slowly pulled out of me. Feeling empty and immediately missing the way it felt when he filled me to the hilt.

His arms snaked around my waist and pulled me back between his legs. I rested my head on his chest and peered up at him, the bright sunlight blocking out my view of his face. He kissed me lightly on my forehead while running his fingers lightly across my shoulder. I hummed in contentment. It felt so good, so warm, so right.

"Did you like the flowers I sent you?" He whispered, peppering soft, wet kisses along my neck.

Huh? Flowers? Oh!

"That was you?" I asked in surprise.

Instead of answering me, he asked me again. Louder this time. "Did you like the flowers I sent you?"

Instead of answering him I crashed my lips to his. I swiped his bottom lip with my tongue. I tilted my head slightly and let my eyes fluttered shut as my chin scraped across his stubble.

"What are you doing? I just wanted to know if you liked the flowers I sent you. I didn't come over here to get molested."

_What?_

My eyes flew open, meeting with harsh light and dark black.

Jeans? I was looking at jeans?

"Get off my fucking leg." An angry angelic voice snarled at me.

I jerked back, realizing I had my arms wrapped around someone's leg. Frantically I scanned my surroundings. Hysteric laughter filled my ears and my cheeks flamed. I was still in the cafeteria and had just had my arms wrapped around… I glanced up into the very disgusted face of... Oh. My. God.

"It's you…"

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**Author: Breath-of-twilight**

**Many thanks are in order here. Mambomama for her fantastical beta skills. Durtynelly and Fragile Human for holding my hand when I wanted to give in and admit defeat and smacking some sense into me when I pissed them off with said behaviour.**

**You girls are fucking wonderful and honestly, this one shot so would never have happened without all three of you. **

**Ducks!**

Seriously, how mad are u at me right now? Please, wait, I swear I have good reason for this one shot. I so want to make it into a full length fic and had to end it this way to make it all work. Forgive me now?

So, if this is something you'd want to see a full length fic, review, let me know. If the interest is there. I am so all over this shit and will begin posting the 'full length story' after the countdown is over.

Happy February! Mwah~


	3. Burning Desires

**A/N **

**I'm back baby! Yup you guys are stuck with my fan fiction writing ass again seeing as the amazing Breath of Twilight agreed to let me take part in this countdown too...but then she couldn't say no seeing as I'm the missus. Anyway, much love to her because she's awesome and has beta'd this steaming pile for you all to read and hopefully enjoy...if not, come back tomorrow for something worth reading. BUT if by any miracle you read this little lemony snippet and **_**like**_** it...then come out of the woodwork and review it, there can only be a few of you so everyone counts lol.**

**So all the usual formalities apply...Stephanie M, the major league *coughcockblockercough*, owns it...I get fuck all from it apart from some twisted, perverted pleasure while playing with B&E and making them do what I want. They're my little porn puppets. *grins***

**Anyhoo...**

**On with the show.**

* * *

**Burning Desires**

I blew out the candle with a huff and let my chin rest on my hand.

I felt tears stinging the back of my eyes but willed them not to spill.

I knew I was taking a risk setting all this up while there was every chance Edward would have to work late. I just hoped that maybe tonight he would tear himself away seeing as it _was_ Valentine's day and all, but I knew he was up for promotion. He'd been working hard to get it, and I knew he wanted it for a good reason. We'd been married for two years now and had talked about starting a family, but our financial situation wasn't at its best so we had decided to wait until money was a little better before dipping our toes in the parenting pool, and this promotion would remedy the situation. However, my period was three weeks late and I had been feeling a little nauseous over the past one; crying one minute, for no apparent reason, and becoming crabby the next.

I guess I couldn't blame Edward for staying at work longer if it meant he didn't have to put up with my mood swings. The symptoms had alerted me enough to buy a test at the drug store last week. After following the instructions and peeing on the stick, I'd sat prepared for the longest four minutes of my life, not that I had to wait at all. Less than a minute after I had returned the stick into the test part, two strong pink lines appeared in the little windows. I'd blown out a long shuddering breath and slumped down on the toilet seat as panic started to set in.

How the hell was I going to tell Edward that I was pregnant? He'd been pretty clear that he wanted to wait until we were a little more financially secure and for good reason. It was the responsible thing to do, too. Now however...it was too late.

The dam had broken, and tears had flowed down my face as heart wrenching sobs rocked my body. What if he didn't want this baby? What if he left me because I'd been careless? Sure it took two people to impregnate a uterus and he would never leave me with sole responsibility for the mishap, but my hormonally charged body was making me think the worst kind of things.

I'd decided I'd tell him on Valentine's Day and hoped the romance of the occasion would soften the blow.

So a full roast dinner was in the oven. I'd put on a skimpy little black dress, and the table was set with white linens and silver cutlery -the good stuff, too, that had been a wedding present and only came out at Christmas when the in-laws came to visit. A large pillar candle sat in the centre to complete the look. Yup, I had been all set and pumped up to tell him, armed with my little pee stick to show him. I'd put it into a zip lock bag for hygiene reasons and left it on the counter in the kitchen. He had called earlier that day to tell me he had a surprise for me when he came home so I had no reason to think he'd be late.

But Edward hadn't come home on time and I'd been sitting there staring at the empty chair, across from me, for over an hour when someone started to bang on the door incessantly.

I lugged my sorry ass up off of the chair and made my way over to the door. Whoever it was, was one persistent fucker and with my hormones running riot the fool better be ready for my wrath when I got there.

Bang bang bang bang bang...

"Alright, alright! Where's the god damn fire?" I yelled just as I pulled the door open.

"Apparently it's in your panties and I am pretty sure I got just the right kind of hose to extinguish it Ma'am."

My mouth hit the floor

"Oh, my." I breathed as I took in the sight of my gorgeous husband stood in front of me wearing a fireman's uniform. He was kinda sweaty, dirty and fucking hot. I was going to need a fresh pair of panties. It was like he'd plucked the image straight out of one of my fantasies.

The beautifully arrogant smile that sat on his glorious face slipped when he took in my red eyes and tear stained cheeks.

"Love, what is it? I'm sorry I was late." He wrapped his arms around my waist as concern filled him.

"It's nothing." I waved him off. I wiped away the last of my tears and licked my lips at his get-up. "Wow." My hand pressed against his chest, and my eyes raked over him. I could feel my heart speed up as I bit my lip.

He looked at me dubiously for a moment before his signature smile reappeared and he switched back into character. Before I knew what had happened he'd lifted me up over his shoulder and was carrying me through our apartment.

"Edward!" I squeaked, giggling as he slapped my ass and rushed me over to the bedroom.

"What?" He replied innocently as he dumped me into the middle of our queen sized bed.

"I didn't realize you'd had a career change" I quipped as he removed the bright yellow helmet and placed it on my head instead.

It was too big and fell over my eyes; this made him throw his head back in laughter, and I was temporarily distracted by his tussled, beautifully soft, sex hair sticking out in odd directions.

"I know you have a thing for this uniform so I called in a favor from Emmett." He continued to chuckle as he used his nose to nudge the helmet back up out of my eyes.

Emmett was Edward's best friend and a fireman. He was always quick to tell Edward about all the embarrassing situations he'd wound up in as a result of his job. Like the time his team had been called out to a fire at a motel. Dispatch had sent a call through to the station about one of the rooms being on fire. Of course, they got kitted up and moved out only to find the motel seemingly sleepy with not even a hint of activity going on. Of course they'd insisted to the owner that they check the place over thoroughly and he'd agreed; apologizing for their wasted time. He gave them the spare key to the room that was supposed to be ablaze, and they went in there only to find some action going on after all; between two consenting adults who, because of the sudden intrusion, didn't have time to cover up.

"Does he owe you any more favors?" I asked hopefully when his mouth moved to kiss my ear.

"Just the one." He purred against my ivory skin in between placing languid, open mouthed kisses along my throat.

"May...Maybe...You could...give him a reason to...owe you again...sometime." I moaned as he sucked my earlobe between his teeth. "Consider it done, Love." He let it go with a pop.

Edward's hands were all over me; caressing every part of my body, while I lapped up his affections willingly. I loved my husband more than anything and the fact that he was a genius under the covers was just the icing on the 'God like' cake that was Edward Cullen. He knew how to play me to perfection, knowing just what I liked him to do to me and when to do it. I was more than satisfied and satiated by him.

He was wearing pretty much the full uniform, dark blue t-shirt, mustard colored pants and a pair of 'fuck me' red braces holding them up. He'd already removed the matching jacket before climbing over me. I could still feel how hard he was even through the thick protective fabric covering him.

He lowered his weight onto me carefully and ground down against my hips. His 'hose' rubbed my heated core through his yellow pants and only served to inflame me more.

"So, can I put out that fire now?" He asked in a lascivious whisper, pulling back to look in my eyes as his hand dared to venture under my dress.

My breath hitched, as he brushed the tips of his fingers over my panties in delicious, little circles.

"God, yes." My eyes rolled. "Please."

In one swift motion, he ripped the delicate material covering my most intimate parts and returned his hands to my bare flesh. I mewled and purred as he rubbed my swollen nub, stopping only to run his fingers up and down the length of my entrance, all the while, never dropping his gaze from mine.

"Baby, you're so wet." He whispered into my mouth after claiming my lips with his own.

His tongue teased me into submission, and I opened my mouth to allow him unbridled access while he swept the dampness, that he'd coaxed from my body, around between my legs.

"Edward, God that feels so good." I breathed and felt the burning embers of our last encounter re-igniting.

His crooked smile lit up his face as he gently pushed two fingers inside of me. He watched in rapt fascination as his simple action had me writhing and thrashing around under him. In a matter of minutes he had me panting and moaning as he hooked his fingertips around, and started to rub my sweet little G-spot that he always seemed to be able to find so easily. I cried out as he brought me to my orgasm.

"Unghhh." He groaned as I came around his fingers.

I knew from experience that he wouldn't be done toying with me. As if on cue with my thoughts, he lowered his head and let it disappear under my dress.

"OH, GOD!" I gasped as he drove his tongue into me, using it to taste the liquid pleasure only he could bring me.

"Hmmm, you taste so good, baby." His hummed words drove me over the edge and I fell gladly into paradise.

When I had calmed down again, he climbed back up my body and kissed me passionately. It turned him on more to know I could taste myself on his lips and tongue as it probed and stroked against mine. I panted into his mouth as he moved his lips over my skin; leaving a trail of goose bumps where they'd touched me.

"This fire is pretty fierce," He started to kiss his way down towards my heaving chest, "It's going to need a more vigorous approach to extinguish it."

"Edward, please...I...I need you." I begged as he pulled at my dress to free my breasts.

He grinned against the peak of my nipple before he drew it into his mouth. His tongue swirled and lapped at the hardened bud before he nipped and suckled it more forcefully.

"SHIT, EDWARD!" I screeched as my body responded to his ministrations.

One of his hands decided to lavish my other breast with a similar treatment while his other tended to freeing his painfully incarcerated dick. He was getting frustrated with the braces and growled in annoyance.

"You better leave those on while you fuck me now that you have me worked up so much, Mister!" I complained.

He looked at me incredulously before chuckling and shoving the fabric down just enough to be able to free his equipment, ready for use.

"Over the edge." I gestured for him to shift our position so it would be easier for him.

He pulled me around until my ass was hanging over the edge and then stood between my legs by the bed. He bent over me to kiss me sweetly before standing back up and centering his pulsating head at my entrance. With one careful thrust he was buried inside me and I was grabbing for the sheets beneath me.

"Fuck." He groaned as he started to move back and forth within me.

His movements were calculatedly slow and torturous and oh, so fucking wonderful. He pounded into me at an exquisite pace and I forgot about everything, even my name. Little else in that moment mattered. The only thing that did was that we loved each other and needed to express that love physically. He grabbed my hips and lifted me slightly to allow him deeper penetration; the change brought on another onslaught of need and building tension between us. We were panting and grunting, chests heaving with exertion, sweat glistening on our exposed skin as we silently challenged each other to let go, to give in and just be completely connected.

"Oh God, Baby. Unghh...so good...Fuck!" His voice quivered with effort as he tried to articulate his gratification.

My hands fisted in my hair and my eyes seemed unable to focus as they rolled around, almost uncontrollably. Edward growled as he watched over my writhing form.

"Wrap your legs around me, baby, and hold on tight." He ground out as his hand sought mine.

My ankles locked behind him and my hands flung out to find his; he grabbed them and started to pull me up against his chest. Once I was lifted off of the bed enough he wrapped one at a time around me until his hold was secure. His lips attacked mine as he stumbled blindly around the room. I wasn't about to question him when I was on the verge of crumpling into a blissful abyss again. Instead, I chuckled against his mouth as he bumped into a few things on his way to the wall. Our intimate contact was never broken even while he maneuvered us around. When my back hit the wall I winced a little but soon forgot about the pain as he pressed his weight against me -effectively driving him into. He thrust and pulled himself into me with increasing speed and I knew he was close to his goal as his grunting and moaning became more strained.

"So close, Edward...so close." I whimpered while arching my back on the dry wall.

His own whimper met mine in reply, letting me know he was going to lose it any second, and that it was taking everything he had to stop it until I got mine. He used one hand and my own body weight to keep me supported, while he moved his other one to manipulate my swollen bud. His fingertips worked me into a complete frenzy; coupled with his relentless pounding I was done for.

"Bella...I can't hold..." His words cut off as he roared out in elation while he twitched and shook inside of me, his release exploding from him and into me.

Guess it's a good thing you can't get pregnant while you're pregnant.

As he moaned and grasped onto me, his slowing movements set off my own release.

"Oh, shit, Edward...YES!" I moaned out while frantically trying to make the best use of the last bit of friction left between our bodies, allowing me the privilege of yet another full orgasm. As my high slowly ebbed, Edward slumped against me in exhaustion, his weakened body still pinning me to the wall.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Bella." He panted, as he pressed his forehead to my shoulder.

"I totally forgive you for being home late." I chuckled along with him and ran my fingers through his sweat slicked hair.

He nuzzled my neck playfully, causing me to giggle and squirm. When he'd lowered me carefully to the ground, he ran a hand through my hair to move the few odd strands from my forehead.

"I love you, so much, Bella...And I've got something to tell you..." He started.

"I've got something to tell you, too, but you go first." I smiled as I placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"I...Wait, do you smell burning?" He moved a step away, looking back towards to door.

No sooner had he spoken, the fire alarm started to beep frantically.

"THE DINNER!" I screeched and pushed Edward out of the way so I could go to try and salvage it.

My husband was quick to follow me.

"SHIT!" I rushed to the oven and pulled it open.

"You sure you still forgive me for getting home late?" He grimaced as he swatted at the offensive smelling smoke that had billowed out when I yanked open the oven door. His question being of the rhetorical kind.

The rib roast joint, I had bought earlier that day, was beyond saving and now resembled a huge lump of coal. I lifted the tray out and dumped it on top of the stove in a huff before skulking over to the table I'd meticulously set up before and slumping into one of the chairs.

"Crap!" I dropped my chin to my hand.

"It could have been worse." He chuckled from my side, but apologized, and pulled his lips into his mouth to stop himself from being overly amused with the situation.

"How could it be worse? I ruined dinner!" I balked as I looked back at the fifty dollar piece of meat that sat there mocking me.

"Firstly, I think _I_ ruined dinner by seducing you, Love. And secondly, you could have set the kitchen on fire," He walked behind my chair and wrapped his arms around me. "...and then Emmett and the guys would have had to come around to put that shit out, and we'd have given him enough new fuel to last a decade."

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me at the thought of Emmett barging in and catching me fucking his best friend while he was dressed as a fireman, too.

"We would have had to remodel the whole kitchen." I chuckled, now humorlessly as I thought of the ramifications.

"Well then, it would be a good job that I got that promotion, so we could pay for that shit then, huh?"

I turned and looked at him with wide eyes.

"You...You got it! Oh, my God, Edward, that's amazing, honey!" I jumped up, threw my arms around his neck and peppered him in kisses. "Wait, does that mean you'll be working longer hours?" I asked, repressing a groan.

"Nope." He popped the 'P' "Now, I get to work a few hours less _and_ get paid more." He grinned and smothered my mouth with his; chasing my tongue around with his. He broke away. "Now go get your beautiful ass ready so I can take you out for dinner to celebrate." He looked at the blackened flesh again on the side, looked away and stifled his guffaws.

He pulled me up to my feet and almost danced me towards the bathroom.

"Hey wait, what was it you wanted to tell me?" He asked sticking his head in from around the semi closed door.

"I'll tell you later." I shrugged it off as nothing, and he seemed fine with my brush off.

He disappeared again back out and towards the kitchen while I stood looking at my still flushed face in the mirror, scolding myself for chickening out and not telling him.

"Hey, Bella..." He paused.

"Yeah?" I called back before splashing water on my face to freshen up.

"Why is there a pregnancy test on the counter?"

"Oh, boy, no getting out of it now, Bella." I mumbled to myself, looking down at the water in the sink and shaking my head.

I listened to the silence that suddenly seemed to scream around me and waited for him to say something...anything. I didn't notice the door open widely, and I jumped when Edward appeared back at the door, my pee stick in his hand. He seemed to look at it in confusion at first, until realization began to sink in

"We're having a baby...We're having a _baby_?" He asked as he finally looked up at me with an expectant expression adorning his beautiful face.

I wasn't capable of forming words so I nodded meekly.

"I guess it's a _really_ good job I got that promotion." A singular chuckle fell from his lips before he stormed over to where I stood.

He grabbed my face between his hands and kissed me harder than he'd ever kissed me before. I didn't realize I'd been trying to hold back tears till they fell without my permission.

Stupid fucking hormones.

When he pulled back and met my gaze the only thing I was able to see was complete, unconditional, and irrevocable, love and pride.

**Author: Lindsi loolabell**


	4. Right Here In My Arms

**To my best friend Courtney: Thank for helping me with all the Military terms and whatnot and allowing your love life to be my inspiration. If it weren't for you and Andy this story never would have came to me! I hope you have a great Valentine's Day with your boy ;)**

**This one-shot if based off of my best friend and her fiancé. The title "Right Here In My Arms" comes from the song "Forever" by John Michael Montgomery. Their song.**

**Disclaimer: I'm Lauren, Not Stephenie.**

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**Right Here In My Arms**

_Happy Single-Awareness Day!_

The freezing winter wind whipped around my face making my whole body shiver as I walked the steps to my first class of the day.

Winter in Washington was always the most painful time of the year. Everything went from being covered in lush, green landscaping to fluffy mounds of white snow. While outsiders would call it beautiful, awe inspiring even, I called it hell.

Those people didn't have to walk ankle deep in it to spend an hour and forty-five minutes in the most boring class in history.

I came to the University of Washington to pursue my love of English literature. While winters outside were a hassle, winters spent inside with a good book and a roaring fire were the best time of the year for me.

I could spend hours upon hours just basking in the dim glow of a fire while curled up in an oversized sweater and sweat pants and reading tales of romance and adventure. It was even better when I was curled up in the arms of Edward.

_Edward_

Some days it was hard to say his name out loud. Other days it was hard to stop saying his name at all.

We met my freshman year of college, 3 years ago. He was in my mandatory statistics class and offered to help me get my failing grade up. Studying turned to flirting, which turned to dating, which turned to falling in love.

Edward is currently stationed in South Korea and based in Camp Walker where he is MP in the Unit 136 MP Battalion. He has been stationed there for 11 months. Well, 11 months and 16 days if you want to be specific.

Before shipping out to Korea, Edward had gone to Basic training in Missouri at Fort Leonard Wood. He did his AIT training there as well. While he was in training we barely spoke. Phones were prohibited and there was no other ways to contact him unless there was an emergency.

The days when he was granted access to his phone were the best days of my life. Just to hear his voice finally and know that he was missing me just as much as I was missing him were enough to sate me for the time being.

He had come home in between AIT and Korea. That had been the best 2 weeks of my life but also the worst. It was bittersweet because even though we had 2 weeks to be together and spend that time how we wanted, it was too short of a time for us to be happy.

It was like a tease getting to see him because he had to leave me so soon. I remember spending his last few nights bawling like a baby on his shoulder and then feeling awful because I was tainting our time together.

Now that Edward was stationed in Korea I was able to talk to him every day. Whether it was on the phone or on the webcam or even with flirty messages on our Facebook walls, I was able to talk to him. However, now that I could hear his voice, I wanted more. I needed him here in person.

I missed him so much that sometimes I didn't even want to call him. Hearing his voice or seeing his gorgeous face just wasn't enough anymore. Simply saying I missed my love just wasn't enough. I ached for his arms to hold me, and I would cry myself to sleep some nights when I needed his body near mine the most.

He knew I was hurting. Every day we would count down the months, weeks, days, until he came home. I tried to put on a brave face because I knew he was hurting just as much, but sometimes it would be too hard and I would sit on the phone with him crying and telling him how badly I wanted him home.

I know he carried the weight of his decision to join on his shoulders, and my blubbering wasn't making him feel better about the situation.

When I first met Edward the idea of joining the military had been just that, an idea. However during the time we were together he made the decision to actually join. At first I had been furious at him. It was like he wanted to leave me. After talking to him, with me being open to all his words, he explained that this was his dream. Who was I to hold him back? He would never hold me back from my dreams so I wouldn't do the same. He wanted to serve his country and whether I was happy with it or not wasn't the issue. I just had to suck it up.

I was the supportive girlfriend the whole way through. I encouraged him and was there for all his needs. But now I wanted my man home. I couldn't wait any longer.

He told me he was set to come home on February 27th. It was now February 13th and I was counting down not just the days, but the hours and minutes, until I would have him in my arms.

Webcaming with Edward just didn't do him justice. The screen made his normally bronze-red hair a dark brown. His bright green eyes were dulled and his sharp jaw line was blurred. The only thing that just didn't change was his gorgeous crooked smile. I still melted when he smiled for me.

The army had done my boy well. When we met he wasn't considered skinny or muscular, he just had a few defined muscles on his arms and his abs weren't as pronounced. However, now…

Dear Lord, I can't wait until he comes home.

His arms weren't huge but they had grown a size since we had last seen each other. His abs had become a masterpiece and I couldn't wait until I could run my tongue along the lines and ridges. He was gorgeous before, but now he was simply breathtaking.

Thinking about Edward's new physique always managed to distract me and make me forget my surroundings. Like thinking about it right now made me forget the steps in front of me…

I braced myself for the fall onto the icy ground before two long arms wrapped themselves around me and pulled me back.

"Jeez, Bells! Careful it's icy out here!" The arms belonged to Edward's best friend, Jacob Black. He had been there for me the most since Edward had left. He was always there as a shoulder to cry on when I had bad days.

"Sorry, Jake. Just lost in thought as usual." He turned me around and smiled down on me with his huge Mega-watt smile.

"Oh please, Bella, don't apologize. You know I would do anything to get you in my arms." He said with a wink. I just rolled my eyes. That was typical Jake. Always saying flirty things like that. He didn't say things like that when Edward was here but I think that was because Edward would have punched him. He's just a big flirt, no real harm.

"Yes, Jake, I risked my life just so you could catch me. You know me so well." I deadpanned. He merely chuckled and threw an arm around my shoulder.

"Come on, I'll walk you to class."

Jacob liked to walk me to and from my classes. He told me that Edward had asked him to, just to make sure I never got hurt. My "danger magnet" status had never let up. At times it was a bit frustrating.

I stared up at the clock for the majority of the class. I had originally been looking forward to taking this British Literature class. I highly regretted choosing it now. The professor was new to teaching and she didn't have a clue about how to teach. Most of the time she would carry on and on about how bad ass Beowulf was. I'm pretty sure she harbored a deep and intense crush on the character. It was a tad alarming.

We were currently going over Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Any moment Beowulf was sure to make an appearance, I was sure of it.

However my ass began to vibrate distracting me momentarily.

I discreetly removed my phone from my back pocket and saw that Edward had texted me.

_Hey pretty girl. What are you doing? -E_

I smiled. I loved when he called me that.

_Hey baby. I'm sitting in Brit Lit. SAVE ME!!!! -B_

Professor Messinger cleared her throat and I glanced up quickly to make sure it wasn't directed at me. When I was sure it wasn't, I looked back at my phone.

_Haha sorry babe wish I could :/ 13 days and a wake up! -E_

_I know! I can't wait. You had better be ready for me Cullen… ;) -B_

_Oh dont worry my love. I am fully prepared. -E_

"Bella?" I snap my head up and see the Professor glancing at me expectantly. My mouth opens and closes because I have absolutely no clue what she is expecting.

"What women want." The boy to my right whispers lowly. _Oh yea!_

"Uh, sovereignty over their husbands." I answer.

"Elaborate…" She waves her hand in front of her as she says it.

"Power. They want to be able to choose for themselves." She nodded.

"Examples." _Oh for fucks sake!_

"Well, the Knight tells the old woman he is unhappy he married her because he believes her to be ugly. She asks if he would rather her be ugly and faithful or beautiful and unfaithful. He gives her the choice. She chooses beauty and faithfulness. He gave her the power." As I speak my phone vibrates in my hand.

"Good. You can check that text after class right?" Her eyebrow rose at me and the class turns to me. Caleb glares.

_Apparently I'm still in high school…_

"Sorry." I made a show of placing my phone is my bag.

Class continued on and I continued clock watching. My phone didn't vibrate anymore but I was okay with it. It was noon which meant Edward should be asleep because it was 2am over there.

Class ended a couple minutes early so I gathered my stuff to leave but not before grabbing my phone. Edward had simply texted me to call him after class.

I called as I walked out of the building. It only rang once before he picked up.

"Hey, how was the rest of class?" He asked.

"Boring. I was caught texting by the way. Thank you for that, babe." I deadpanned. He merely laughed.

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you when I get home." My heart always plummeted when he reminded me of that but I held it in for him.

"Oh you bet you will!" I laughed. We were quiet for a minute before I asked the question that had been on my mind all day.

Or maybe all month…

"So… what are you doing tomorrow?" My voice cracked on the word tomorrow. I was sure it didn't go unnoticed by Edward. His sigh confirmed it.

"Wallowing over the fact that I can't spend Valentine's Day with you. I know it will be hard, baby, but we can celebrate when I get home." I bit my lip and stopped at the crosswalk. We had rented a townhouse together within walking distance of campus.

"I'd like that." I said quietly. I was trying hard not to break down.

"No worries, baby. Don't be sad. We'll be together soon." He said softly. It didn't really help. Soon wasn't tomorrow.

"I know." I had to clear my throat from the lump forming. "I love you so much."

"Oh, Bella, I love you more than you can know." He said passionately. "I'm so sorry."

We were quiet again as I gathered my thoughts. I couldn't blame him. I couldn't even be remotely mad at him. I loved him harder than I have ever loved before. He stole my heart the day he first spoke to me. Nothing would ever change that.

"Edward, it's late there. You should be asleep. We'll get on webcam tonight okay? I love you." I had approached the townhouse and noticed Jake sitting on the swing texting on his phone.

"Okay, baby, I love you too." He hung up right after. We never said goodbye.

I put my phone in my purse and walked up the porch to sit next to Jake.

"Edward?" All he had to do was ask and the tears flowed from my eyes. It hurt that I couldn't spend Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year, with the love of my life.

"I don't know if I can do it, Jake. How can I get through tomorrow without him?" I cried. He just wrapped his arms around me and shushed me. It didn't help tremendously but it was enough to calm me down a bit so my wailing turned to sniffles.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Jake said suddenly causing me to jump. "Let's hang out together tomorrow. I have no date for the evening." He smiled brightly at me but I could only manage a small sad smile back.

"I was thinking of spending the night with Ben, Jerry, and Ryan Gosling actually." He looked confused so I clarified. "Ice cream and The Notebook." He nodded in understanding.

"Gotcha. Well that's unacceptable to me. Come on, Bells. I'll take you out for a causal dinner, maybe that Mexican place you like. It won't be romantic at all, but at least you won't be all alone, right?"

He did make a good point. I shouldn't be depressed all day. We could have our romantic day when he came back to me.

"Okay." My smile was less forced and Jake looked extremely happy. Maybe he talked to Edward and was told to take me out?

It didn't matter. I was just happy I wouldn't be alone tomorrow.

3333333333

I woke up in the morning to a knock on my front door. I groaned and looked at the clock. It was 9am and I didn't have classes at all today.

I huffed and got out of bed quickly when the knocking didn't stop.

I padded down the stairs rubbing the sleep from my eyes and remembering to wipe the dried up drool from my cheek. I was a fucking beauty in the morning.

I opened the door just a crack because of course it would be sunny when my eyes hadn't adjusted to the light yet. The cold morning air assaulted my arms and face so I wrapped my arms around my body before squinting into the general vicinity of the knocker.

"Bella Swan?" The knocker's voice was clearly a man but it was entirely too jovial for 9am. Especially since I hadn't fallen asleep until 5am.

"Yes?" I croaked. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Yes." My voice was much clearer.

"I have a delivery for you." It was then that I noticed the incredibly beautiful bouquet of red roses and white freesias at his feet. The vase was fat, round, and white with a red bow wrapped around it. I gasped. It was so beautiful. "I just need your signature."

I nodded and finally regained my sense enough to smile up at him. He looked young, younger than me. He was smiling so wide that my own damn cheeks hurt just looking at it.

After signing for the flowers he reached down and handed me the vase. It was much heavier than I had anticipated.

I said a quick thank you and he was gone, skipping and whistling the whole way down my porch. I stared dumbly after him until he hopped into the delivery van and drove off. I was snapped out of my confusion when the wind blew and chilled my face. With a shake of my head, I shut the door and turned around to place the vase on the coffee table.

I pulled my phone out and called Edward excited to thank him for the flowers while reading the quick note from Edward in the flowers. His words made me smile like a fool. He never picked up though which wasn't unusual so I just left a saucy message thanking him for the flowers and promising him a very nice reward when he came home.

Getting those flowers had been just what I needed to get up this morning. Edward knew how much I loved getting flowers. In my opinion, you could never go wrong with flowers.

_Unless they were like some bleeding hearts or snap dragons… pretty but not highly romantic…_

I went and made myself a pot of coffee and waited till it was ready before heading back into the living room to sit and stare at the bouquet. I sipped my coffee while thinking about how excited I was for Edward to come home. Today there were just 12 more days and a wake up. I hadn't felt this excited in so long. Such a simple gesture from that man and I was melted.

I picked up my phone and checked to see if Edward had called back. I usually kept my phone on vibrate. I hate the sound of ringtones.

There was a text from him.

_Im happy you got them baby! Im really busy right now but as soon as I can Ill call you. I love you! Happy V Day! -E_

I swallowed down the bit of concern that swept over me from his message. If he was in danger or something I wouldn't have gotten a text so it couldn't have been bad.

I did mundane things around the house all day. I listened to my love songs mix on my iTunes while cleaning the dishes. I watched only one romantic movie but it became too much for me to handle after 30 minutes.

I checked my phone every chance I got. Edward had texted me again telling me he wouldn't be about to call me but that he loved me and wished he could be here. We talked for just a few minutes until he said he had to go back to work.

I busied myself as much as possible until 6 o'clock when Jacob called and told me he would be here at 7. I dressed pretty basic. A simple dressy black and pink top with my dark jeans and my black slip-ons.

Jake came knocking on my door at 7 on the dot. He was dressed in a red button up and black dress pants. I felt a little underdressed but didn't say anything.

"You ready?" He asked. He was so excited and his enthusiasm was contagious. I found myself smiling along with him before we linked arms to walk down to his car.

Once seated in Jakes beat up Rabbit, I turned to him.

"So, where are we going?" He turned to me and smiled as he started up the car and turned the heat on full blast warming me immediately.

"It's a surprise." I groaned and his smile grew.

"Jake you know I hate surprises!" I whined. He didn't even care. He just laughed and took off toward the direction of God-knows where.

We drove for a couple of minutes and I knew we were in downtown Seattle. Jake parked in the garage that was free to students and cut the engine. I got out of the car and stood to the side while he locked up the car.

I followed his lead out of the garage and out onto the street.

"So, do I get to know where were going now?" I asked. He kept walking but his eyes glanced quickly to me before smirking. "I'll take that as a no."

We walked for just a few minutes, and the cold had already seeped through my jacket causing me to shiver. Jake noticed and threw an arm around my shoulder and ran his hand up and down my arm to make me warm.

Finally Jake stopped us in front of a large glass door. Inside I could see tons of patrons dressed to the nines and sipping wine from decorative glasses.

"Jake, I thought you said casual? This place looks nothing remotely close to casual." I glanced up at the sign in front of the door. It read _Dahlia Lounge_. I gasped and my mouth opened in shock. "Jacob Black this is way too expensive! I refuse to step foot in there. You said casual! I'm dressed for… not this!"

"Bella, don't worry about it, you look beautiful tonight. I just thought you deserved something better than casual on Valentine's Day." He didn't even look remorseful; he probably knew I would react this way! "Come on, I have reservations." He looked so excited and something about it seemed off.

I reluctantly followed him into the restaurant. We were seated immediately at a secluded table.

"Jake," I spoke up as soon as we were seated and alone. "This feels awfully romantic." I whispered while looking around at the dim lighting and romantic holiday decor.

"Well thanks, Bella." He smiled and winked at me before opening the menu and scouring the likely expensive items.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. This felt off, like he wasn't just flirting anymore. Did he think it was a date?

I subtly withdrew my phone and checked to see if Edward had texted me. I saw a new message and my smile lit up my face.

_What are you doing right now babe? -E_

It had been sent just 15 minutes ago so I quickly responded.

_Jake took me to dinner tonight. Im kind of regretting it now… -B_

Jake was still looking at the menu and looked deep in thought. Maybe he just realized how expensive this damn place was.

My phone vibrated again so I looked down to read it.

_Why? Whats wrong? -E_

_Hes just acting strange. I think he thinks its a date… -B_

_Well why did you go out with him on Valentines Day? -E_

Whoops…

_He said he didnt want me to sit around and be sad… I assumed you told him to. -B_

_Baby why would I tell my friend to take my girlfriend out for a romantic dinner? -E_

_It wasnt supposed to be romantic!!! -B_

_Calm down love im not mad I trust you. Him… not so much right now. -E_

The waiter came to our table and introduced himself. He asked about wine but Jake declined. I knew he didn't have the money for this type of restaurant. He was being weird… did I mention that?

I glanced down at the menu and picked the least expensive thing, a salad. I wasn't that hungry right now anyway.

Without looking at my phone I texted Edward back to say that I would call him after. My phone vibrated but Jake was looking at me so I didn't want to be rude and check it.

Dinner went okay I guess. Jake didn't act unusual and every time he said something flirty I just shook it off. My mind wasn't really focusing on Jake; it was on my boyfriend who was probably going ballistic right now. I probably shouldn't have said anything but we had absolutely no secrets. It would have been worse if he found out differently.

I insisted on splitting the bill because Jake's eyes went wide when it arrived. He didn't protest, too much.

We walked back out into the cold February air and Jake turned to me.

"You want to go anywhere else?" He seemed so hopeful. I was so confused.

"That's okay, I was thinking about going home and calling Edward, we haven't really talked much all day." His face fell a bit but he recovered and extended his arm again. I awkwardly linked mine with his. I didn't want to mislead him but I didn't want to hurt his feelings as well.

We drove home is silence as the radio played lightly in the background. It so awkward and uncomfortable in the small car I couldn't wait until we were back to my home. I just wanted to talk to Edward.

Jake walked me to the door while I fumbled with the keys. When we reached the door he stood next to me waiting. _What is he doing?!_

"Well, I had a really good time tonight, Bella." I froze and turned to him. I cleared my throat before speaking.

"Me too, Jake. Thanks for keeping me company." I smiled but it was forced. I had a bad feeling.

"Maybe we could do it again sometime." He scratched the back of his head and shuffled his feet. "Like, before Edward comes home…" He trailed off and looked up at me shyly.

_Uhhh… what?_

"Jake…" I sighed. What is wrong with this boy? Edward is his best friend. I knew something felt off at dinner. "Jake, my heart belongs to Edward and it always will. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression but that will never change. I love him."

He closed his eyes and huffed.

"Bella, he isn't home though. Why not give me a chance?" He said exasperatedly. I just gaped at him. He saw my expression and went on. "I mean, I see the way you look at me sometime. Just give me a chance, Bella." He stepped forward and gripped my face between his hands. I tried to pull back but he wouldn't let me.

His face got closer to mine and I panicked. What the hell?!

"Please…" He whispered and leaned forward until his lips almost touched mine. However my knee made contact with his balls before they could.

He double over in pain and I picked up my previously dropped keys to hurry into my house.

I hurried inside and slammed the door shut locking it quickly. I could still hear him moaning in pain on my porch. I turned my back to the door and fell to my butt on the floor. I pulled my knees up and buried my head between them.

When did things with Jake get like this? I thought he was Edward's best friend, hell even my friend. God, if Edward was home right now I'm pretty sure Jake would be doing more than moaning in pain over some sore balls. He'd probably be screaming in…

"_What the FUCK is wrong with you!?"_

"_Oh shit…"_

My eyes widened and I froze in place. That sounded an awful lot like Edward…

"_Who the fuck do you think you are?! That's my fucking girlfriend, dumb ass!"_

It is Edward!

Wait, what?

I unfroze from my place and ran to the window next to my door. I gasped as I saw Edward, my Edward, with his hand around Jake's throat talking lowly. He was in his ACU's and looked so fucking good. His hair was buzzed short but I knew it would grow out. I couldn't wait to run my fingers through it while…

Oh yea, boyfriend pummeling friend… I should go take care of that.

I turned from the window and took a deep breath to compose myself. I didn't hear them talking anymore so I unlocked and opened the door cautiously. Jake was stumbling back into his car and he quickly started it. Edward had his back turned to me but his fists were clenched tightly by his side. I tentatively took a step forward until I was right behind him. Jake sped off with screeching tires leaving tracks and smoke behind him.

I slowly extended my hand to Edward's back. My fingers touched him and it was like electrical sparks went off through my body. It had been so damn long since we touched.

He stiffened as I touched him and I was so scared he was going to be mad. I didn't know how he would react towards me after what he saw.

I cleared my throat and spoke.

"Edward, I am so sorry. I didn't give him any indication that I wanted it to happen. Please don't be mad at me, baby. I love you so much."

He turned and lifted me into his arms immediately after I was done speaking. It felt so good to be in his arms again. This was where I belonged, right here in his arms. Forever.

"I love you so much, Bella. I saw the whole thing; I know it wasn't your fault. God, I've missed you so much baby." I tightened my arms around him and tears came to my eyes. My love was home. I was finally in his arms. Life was good.

I wrapped my legs around his waist when Edward started moving. I wasn't ready to depart from him yet. I don't think he minded because he held onto me just as tightly.

I heard him shut the door and lock it before turning and heading towards the stairs. My shoes slipped off my feet from their position. I turned my head into his neck and breathed in his scent. I missed his smell. It faded from the pillows and the night I laid my head on them and realized it I cried myself to sleep.

My lips lightly grazed his neck and his steps faltered for a moment before continuing up the steps. I applied more pressure kissing his neck. I couldn't wait to feel his lips against mine.

We made it to our bedroom as my lips began traveling the length of his neck to his ear. I kissed the lobe just as we reached the bed. Edward slowly and carefully laid us down on the bed. His weight on mine felt perfect. I had missed this so much.

He lifted his head and looked down on me so lovingly that more tears gathered in my eyes. I closed them and they fell down my cheeks and onto the pillow. I reopened them to stare up at Edward finally looking at his bright green eyes.

He brought his fingertips to my cheek where he brushed my tears away from my face.

"How are you here right now?" I whispered. I was in awe of him. I couldn't believe he was here, in the flesh.

"I got an early leave.*" He whispered back and lowered his head to mine. I'm sure there was more but I wasn't about to question it. "I've been dying to kiss you, Bella." He brushed his nose against my cheek as I smiled.

"Just kiss?" I replied teasingly.

He crushed his lips to mine and I moaned at the feeling. It had been too long.

He was an expert at kissing. He took my bottom lip between his and sucked while running his tongue along my lip. My hips bucked into his and I could feel his growing erection. My mouth opened in a gasp and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He found my tongue with his and slowly caressed it. He knew exactly what that would do to me.

My hands ran up his back to his shoulders feeling the new defined muscles. I reached his head and expected there to be the long locks I used to love but met buzzed hair instead. It was incredibly soft though so I won't really complain.

His talented mouth left my lips and traveled to my neck. He sucked on the skin harshly and nibbled but ran his tongue over the area soothing the sting. I was whimpering and moaning and bucking my hips into his.

His lips left my skin causing me to whine at the loss. He sat up slowly and began caressing the skin right above my jeans where my shirt had rode up. He began the slow task of removing my clothes.

My shirt came off first where his hands began caressing every bit of exposed skin. He slipped my bra straps down my arms before reaching around and unclasping it.

His eyes drank in the sight of me naked from the waist up. These were the times that I felt the sexiest. He stared at me with such intensity and love that it was impossible to be self-conscious.

His head dipped down to take my left nipple into his mouth. My back arched with pleasure as his tongue swirled around the puckered flesh.

"Oh, Edward… I need you so much." His eyes flashed to mine and I moaned at the sight.

He switched to the other breast and began the torture all over again. His hand drifted down my body and he slowly unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans. I wiggled my hips to help him pull my pants off. Soon they joined the pile on the floor.

He sat up again and took hold of my panties. His hands hooked into the sides as he slowly, very slowly, pulled them down my body.

By the time they were off I was panting and wriggling, just aching for him to touch me. He just sat back on his heels and ran his eyes up the length of my body.

"Please…" I whispered. His eyes snapped to mine and he looked conflicted. "What's wrong?" I asked worried.

"I can't decide if I want to taste you first or just bury myself inside you."

_UGHH_

I felt a rush of wetness between my legs at his words.

Edward slowly got off the bed and my eyes stayed glued to him. He began taking off his uniform and I couldn't take my eyes away from him. He looked so sexy as each bit of him was revealed. He wore a white wife beater underneath his top, and oh dear God just the sight of him in a white tank and those Camo pants had me salivating.

Once he got his pants off and the white wife beater off I was a panting mess. He was left in just his black boxer briefs and the tented material was taunting me to reach out.

He slowly pulled the underwear off revealing his hard length. I moaned out loud at the sight of it in person. The webcam didn't do it justice either.

He came back to bed and I expected him to cover my body with his but he had other ideas.

Edward lowered his body onto the bed and his head was right where I needed him the most. His eyes met mine as his tongue slowly licked my wet slit from my entrance to my clit. I thrust my hips into his face at the contact and he had to hold me down with his hands as he went back to work.

I was moaning loudly and cursing into the room at every swipe of his tongue. I had forgotten how fucking amazing his tongue was when he went down on me. His eyes were closed in concentration while his hands held down my waist and hips.

My moans picked up and I was mumbling incoherently when his long piano player fingers came into play. My hands were permanently attached to his head trying to get him as close as possible. His fingers probed my slick entrance and began pumping into me while his tongue flicked my clit and I lost it. My legs shook with the force of my orgasm and my throat began hurting from the screams I was emitting, but Edward didn't let up until the shaking ended.

He crawled up my body kissing my slightly sweating skin as he went.

I was still breathing heavily by the time he reached my lips, and I tried to kiss him back through my pants. I felt Edward's engorged head press against me before inching in slowly.

It had been so long since he had been inside me that it hurt a little at being stretched. Once he was fully sheathed in me I took a few deep breaths.

"God Damnit, Bella, you're so tight. I don't know how long I can last. It's been so long." Edward's voice was strained and his hips moved slightly inside of me shocking me with pleasure.

I shifted my hips to get him to start moving, the slight sting having disappeared and pleasure was taking over my body.

Edward recovered and slowly began pulling out and pushing forward. He kept a slow place, just feeling and remembering. His eyes were drooping while he gazed into my eyes. His mouth was open in pleasure and I could taste his breath.

His eyes narrowed and his slow deep thrusts picked up. I was moaning loudly again, feeling my body light up with electricity every time his curved head hit my spot inside me.

My head was thrown back and I knew I was close. Edward knew as well and his hand left its place beside my head and moved down my body to my clit. He rubbed small tight circles, and I wasn't able to hold back my scream as I exploded. I couldn't focus on anything except the intense pleasure. Edward growled and began thrusting erratically before stilling and collapsing on top of me, letting his weight overcome me.

We were breathing heavily trying to regain our senses. After a minute or two Edward slowly pulled out of me and rolled to the side pulling me with him. I draped myself across his sweaty body. We should probably shower soon.

I slowly lifted my head and looked into the face of the love of my life. I kissed him chastely and leaned back up to look at him.

"Welcome home, baby." I whispered. He grinned crookedly at me.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my love."

* * *

**Author: Lauren Danielle**

***In reality, an early leave wouldn't happen unless there was an emergency. This isn't reality, its fanfiction :)**


	5. Under The Colored Lights

**A/N: Hello! First off, I want to say a huge thank you to Breath-of-Twilight for asking me to take part in this countdown. She did an amazing job with the last one and I am thrilled to be coming back for round two!! Just for a little story information- all characters are human and admittedly OOC (although I think they're more fun this way, haha). I hope you enjoy it :-)**

Under The Colored Lights

_Three Days Until Valentine's Day_

Edward sat at his desk and kept his eyes trained on the computer screen. In his head he repeated one sentence.

I will not look.

I will not look.

I will not-

"Shit," he murmured, caught in his furtive glance.

It was eleven months, twenty eight days, and six hours since he had sat with her in Jordan's Pub under the artificial glow of the Heineken neon sign. After several rounds of drinks that were comp-ed by their office for the annual Valentine's Day party they had made a promise. Even under the haze of one too many Irish car bombs, they knew they were heading into dangerous territory.

At thirty two and thirty years of age, respectively, both realized that time was slowly slipping away. Each year, time seemed to slip away quicker. There was this constant ticking of a clock. Neither knew if the clock actually existed but they inherently knew it was ticking. Each year, the sound became louder and louder.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Maybe it was the sound of this omnipresent clock or perhaps one of them had caught a few minutes of "My Best Friend's Wedding" on AMC before the party. Whatever the instigation, surrounded by the yeasty scent of beer, they had promised that if neither of them were seeing someone in one year's time, it would be their turn. Both of them had nursed secret flirtations-holding the door of the copy room, furtively saving the last cup of coffee. In one year's time if their beds were still habitually empty, they would fill each other's.

It was a silly-too many Irish car bomb-induced deal. He didn't even know if she remembered. But, oh boy, did he. It was hard not to, now.

Three days until Valentine's Day.

He was looking more than usual today. Edward Cullen always looked at her during work. A hazard of the job, she used to joke. Today was different, though. His glances were more brazen than she had ever experienced. It was almost as if he wanted to catch her eye.

"Have you and Edward ever slept together?" Angela asked her out of the blue. Bella was going through a stack of complaint letters and looked up in surprise.

"No, why would you think that?"

"You guys seem, I don't know, like something happened between you two."

Bella pressed her lips together and she scoured her brain for anything that would have upset their balanced interactions. Coming up with nothing she shook her head and said, "I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Alright." Angela glanced over at Edward's desk and made a small sigh. "Let me tell you, though, I wouldn't kick him out of bed."

Angela moved back to her desk and Bella glanced toward Edward. He was working on his computer and he leaned forward as he read something over, his eyebrows furrowing. Those eyebrows spread apart as he glanced up and caught her staring. Quickly she looked back down, sweeping her eyes up once more to find him still looking. He smiled a bit and moved his head in acknowledgment. Her hand swept up of its own accord to offer a small wave and it knocked down the complaint letters in its ascent. Swearing a bit too audibly she ducked under her desk and gathered them up. She could hear him laughing.

While Bella walked to her car she replayed the day's events in her mind. Edward glancing at her as if she held some secret he wanted to unearth, her hand knocking over an entire stack of letters. She winced at the last thought and audibly noted that she had to stop being so clumsy.

Ironically enough, she slipped on a patch of ice the moment the utterance left her mouth.

"Ow," she whimpered, her bottom stinging.

"Are you alright?" A voice asked urgently. When she looked up she found the voice belonged to none other than Edward and a lot more than her bottom hurt.

"I'm fine," she answered, blushing when he took her arm and helped her up. Her boot found the patch of ice again as she went to step forward and his arm wrapped around her waist as she careened forward.

"Whoa there," he said, laughing a bit. "I've never met someone who could slip twice in ten seconds."

"I'm a special brand of person," she told him sheepishly.

"Do you need help to your car?" He asked, removing his arm from her waist.

"No, I'm fine." When he didn't look convinced she assured him, "I've reached my two slip quota for the day. I'll be fine now."

He smiled. "Alright, well, I'll just walk you to your car. For my peace of mind."

"Okay, it's not far."

Her small Prius was indeed only a few feet away and she cursed herself for being unable to walk that short of a distance without embarrassing herself. She reached the car successfully and pulled her keys out of her purse.

"And I made it," she told him.

"Aren't you glad that I escorted you?" Edward joked. "Without me, you might have still been on that patch of ice."

"That is very true," she answered soberly. "I tend to have bad luck like that. Well, thank you very much for the escorting."

She didn't mean it as a dismissal but Edward nodded succinctly and said, "Yeah, I have to go. I'm meeting a friend soon. Drive safe."

She nodded quickly and offered him a cautious grin. His grin mirrored hers and a flash of something pulled at the edges of her memory. It was that grin; it reminded her of something.

A neon sign.

"See you later, Bella."

Irish Car Bombs.

A promise.

"Are you okay?" He asked, peering at her oddly.

"Yes," she answered immediately, holding onto the mirror of the car tightly. "I'm fine. Thanks again for your help."

He didn't move and for a moment she thought he was going to help her into the car or something. To her great relief, though, he gave her a friendly pat on the arm and then went on his way.

When he left she climbed quickly into the car and grasped the steering wheel tightly. The memories came more vividly now. It was flashes of neon beer signs and smudged shot glasses all under a shifting haze.

"Oh my," she murmured.

The girl wrapped her leg around the pole, sliding down as she tipped her head back enough so that her hair spilled out down her back like amber paint. She glanced toward Edward, giving him a devilish smirk as she pushed her bottom out toward him.

"Why the hell am I here?" Edward asked his strip-club companion, frowning when the stripper made a more obscene gesture toward him.

"Because it's fun." His friend laughed heartily when the stripper made a particularly crude movement and he clapped his hand on Edward's thigh with just a bit too much force. He didn't even bother wincing because his friend would most likely not notice. Emmett McCarty did not pick on subtleties.

"Does Rosalie know you're here?" The stripper moved toward Edward again and he exhaled sharply. "She doesn't give up, huh?"

"Rosalie or the stripper?"

"The stripper."

"Oh." Emmett leaned forward in his seat, his hands dropping between his knees. "And no, she doesn't know I'm here. She'd kill me."

Edward moved his head in acknowledgement, crossing his feet at the ankles. The stripper seemed to take this as a cue and sauntered over.

"Oh shit," he muttered.

"I'll deal with it," Emmett assured him. He raised his torso up a bit as he pulled out a few dollars from his pocket. The movement caught her attention and seeing the green paper she changed targets.

"Here you go, honey," Emmett said, stuffing the bills beneath the synthetic material of her underwear. He tapped her bottom once and she sauntered off.

"You have a serious problem, my friend," Emmett told him, grabbing his beer and taking a long drag. "What's her name?"

Edward looked blankly at him. "Whose name?"

"The name of the girl who made you turn _that_ away." Edward followed Emmett's vague gesture and understood. He thought about it for a moment and wondered why exactly he had turned _that_ down. He was single, attractive, and a woman with the prettiest ass he'd ever seen wanted to play with him. When the hell did he turn so damn frigid?

"There is no girl," Edward finally said. "I'm just having a weird day."

His thoughts flashed to earlier in the day and his catching Bella looking at him. And then he caught her a second time. He wondered if he would catch her again tomorrow.

"Well, you're lucky then," Emmett said. "Relationships suck."

"Are you and Rosalie having problems?"

Emmett didn't answer and he assumed that he was right. He couldn't exactly say that he was surprised. Rosalie was one of the most beautiful creatures that he had ever laid eyes on and she was blindly in love with his friend. So blindly in love, in fact, that she tended to overlook a lot. Edward knew that Rosalie was aware of Emmett's infidelities. After a night of drinking he was apt to come home with lipstick on his collar or a number in his pocket. He knew Rosalie saw it and he would catch it every once in a while when he would be out with the two of them. It was a hooded glance or a flicker in her smile when a pretty waitress passed Emmett that told him that she knew more than she let on.

"Rosalie found a number in my pocket," Emmett said. "Remember that night we went to Santos?"

Edward remembered the place and an enchanting redhead who had "accidentally" spilled her drink on Emmett. "Did you tell her the truth?"

"Of course not." Emmett said gruffly and Edward wondered why he had even hoped he would hear the opposite. "I told her that the girl forced it on me and that I had no intention of using it."

"How did she take it?"

"She dropped the subject but I still don't think she's entirely convinced. Means I'm going to have to pull out the big guns this Valentine's Day. Rose's a sucker for all that holiday shit."

"You better get crackin' then. Only three days until Valentines."

Emmett frowned and tipped his beer back. The bottle was empty and he put it down roughly on the floor. Exhaling loudly he muttered, "I fucking hate holidays."

Emmett returned home and heard some Christmas carol playing from the bedroom. Rosalie listened to Christmas music year-round, something that always baffled him. There was so much good music in the world and yet she insisted on listening to "Deck the Halls" and "Dominick the Donkey".

He took off his coat and dropped it on the couch, his eyes catching on a picture of him and Rose from their second anniversary. He picked it up and smiled to himself. That had been a pretty good party. His thoughts shifted to what happened after the party and he felt himself harden. He put the picture back in its place and walked to the bedroom. When he walked in her back was to his.

"Hey, babe."

She didn't answer and he said it again a little louder. It was then that he noticed the suitcase on the bed. She was methodically placing items in it.

A shirt.

A bra.

A pair of jeans.

He moved toward her and asked, "You goin' somewhere?"

Again she didn't answer.

She seemed so calm as she packed the trunk and he slowly began to feel uncomfortable. The bedroom had been entirely decorated by her-all pink and frills-he felt entirely too large for the room, like a clumsy elephant in a china shoppe. And all the while, her Christmas carols tinkled in the background.

"Rose, what is this all about?"

_It's the most wonderful time of the year._

"You know what it's about."

At her words it felt as if a tiny hatch at the base of his stomach became unhinged and all his insides went right through. Her blue eyes were hard and he doubted for a moment that he could talk himself out of this one.

"Is this about that phone number? Babe, I told you, it was nothing."

"Bulll shit," she hissed. "It's all bulll shit, your excuses and your lies. Hell, this is bulll shit." Her hand moved angrily between the two of them and he stupidly thought that the red nail polish on her nails was an unsettling red.

"Listen, just sit down and we can talk about this." He reached for her arm but she jerked it away fiercely.

_It's the hap-happiest season of all._

"Don't you touch me," she hissed at him. Her beautiful face was contorted with anger and it nearly made him recoil.

"We need to talk about this."

She shook her head and turned around to grab her make-up bag. She threw it forcefully into the suitcase. "No, I'm sick of it. I'm sick of hearing your stories. I can't take it anymore."

"Rose-"

"All this time I've overlooked it. I overlooked them. I figured that as long as you came home to me at night that it didn't matter. It does matter, though."

"Babe, this is all a big misunderstanding."

She stopped moving and was deathly still.

_With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings_

_When friends come to call_

He slowly moved beside her and when her face came into sight a cold chill ran through him. Her eyes moved coolly to his and she retorted, "No, I understand perfectly. You fuck anything within two legs. What _you_ don't understand is that I refuse to stand on the sidelines anymore. I'm done, Emmett."

She took a hold of the top of the suitcase and brought it down, zipping it closed with one long turn of her hand. His eyes were trained on her and he didn't notice then how she had stripped the room of nearly all her possessions. She reached for her coat on the vanity and before he knew what he was doing his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Let go," she demanded.

"I can't let you go, Rose."

"You don't have a choice," she said and ripped her wrist from his grasp.

_There'll be much mistltoing_

_And hearts will be glowing_

_When loved ones are near._

It all seemed to happen in a haze then. She pulled the suitcase from the bed and rolled it out of the bedroom. He didn't follow, only staring at the now empty bed, holding his breath for the sound of the door opening and closing.

He turned at the sound and walked out to the living room. For a good five minutes he stared at that door, waiting for it to open again. She couldn't have been serious about all of this. She loved him.

When she didn't return he turned into the living room, his eyes falling on the picture from earlier. He picked it up again and his eyes memorized every curve of her face. A white hot pain spread through his body and his control slipped as the edges of his vision blurred. The picture shattered against the closed door.

Still, her damned music played cheerfully.

_It's the most wonderful time _

_Of the year._

The jaunty peaches were mocking her.

Walking from one side of the kitchen to the other while suffering through a phone call with her mother Bella was convinced that the peaches were laughing at her torture. They were all round and cheeky with their bright skin. She swore they were sticking their stem-tongues out at her.

"Anyone you're interested in?" Renee asked.

Bella felt the twenty questions coming and made the short reply of, "Nope."

"There's no one?"

"That is what I meant by 'nope'."

"How about at that job of yours? There are boys there, right?"

She sighed, leaning against the counter. "Yes Mom, there are boys there."

"Well, why don't you ask one of them out?"

She leaned back and made an incoherent noise when the edge of her coffee machine dug into her back.

"Sweetie?"

"Sorry, my coffee machine attacked me. And no, I will not ask any of them out."

"Why not? You always preach to me about women being so independent these days. Take the bull by the horns-no insinuation intended-"

"Ew, Mom."

"And ask one of those boys out."

She reached over her shoulder and rubbed the spot on her back where she had hit the coffee machine. "Okay Mom, I will ask one of them out."

"And do it soon. You're not getting any younger."

The doorbell rang suddenly and Bella could not believe how quickly her luck had turned. Hastily she told her Mom, "Oh, hear that? There's someone at the door."

"Oh, you think it's a boy?"

"It just might be. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye sweetie."

She hung up and nearly danced over to the door. As she flung it open she cooed, "My new hero!"

Her smile faltered when the person at the door broke into heaving sobs. She mumbled quickly about how silly she had been to answer the door in such a manner and quickly ushered her friend into her apartment. She moved her over to the couch and waited for the story.

"I'm sorry to…..barge in….like this," Rosalie said, her words a bit muddled through her tears. "I just didn't know where else to go."

"Don't mention it. You know you're always welcome here. What happened?"

"I left Emmett."

Bella didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Instead of deciding she took Rosalie's hands in her own and murmured, "Oh, Rosalie, I am so sorry."

"I got sick of all the lies. He was always lying to me. I…I just couldn't take it anymore."

"You did the right thing then." She patted Rosalie's hands affectionately. "Now, you sit here and I am going to make us the strongest coffee possible."

Rosalie nodded but stopped her just before she entered the kitchen. "Put some Bailey's in it?"

Bella smiled. "I said it would be strong, didn't I?"

She returned with two mugs that let off the delicate scent of coffee and something undoubtedly alcoholic. Rosalie's cheeks regained color after the first sip.

"I guess it's official now," Rosalie said after a moment. "We always chase breakups with Irish coffee."

"Well, if it'll make you feel any better I was just on the phone with my mother."

Bella cheered inwardly at the sliver of a smile that Rosalie gave her. "How is Renee?"

"Oh, good and meddling."

"What's new?"

"Nothing, I guess. She told me that I should ask out someone from work."

Rosalie's eyes darkened and she spat," Don't, men are all snakes."

Bella patted her hand.

"And you know what the worst part is? I still love the damn snake."

_Two Days Until Valentine's Day_

Edward and Bella had a chance meeting at the company coffee pot. He was there first, filling what must have been his fourth cup of coffee. He had tossed and turned all night with feverish dreams. It was now two days until Valentine's Day and as far as he knew, both him and Bella were still single. Perhaps in two days they no longer would be.

He could only hope.

She stumbled over to the coffee and nearly careened in to him. His arm steadied hers as he said, "Whoa there, be careful. I'm not too good at catching people."

"You really shouldn't say that to girls," she answered. "We're all looking for a good catch." She yawned wide and her face seemed to stretch every which way. "I need coffee."

"Long night?" He asked, pouring her a cup.

She nodded and explained, "My friend broke up with her boyfriend. She came over last night in pretty bad condition."

"Ah, so you were nursing her all night?"

"Yes, that and many, many Irish coffees." She took a sip from the cup. "You'd think the coffee would dilute the Baileys but it really doesn't." She took another sip. "Trust me, definitely doesn't."

"Well, I hope you feel better. Your friend, too, break ups suck. My friend had a pretty bad one yesterday, too."

Bella looked at him over the rim of her cup and nodded, swallowing the bitter coffee. "Yeah, wow, that's kind of odd. Must be something in the water."

They shared a polite chuckle and then made their way out of the lounge. Just before they parted, though, Edward stopped her.

"Are you going to the Valentine's Day party?"

"We don't really have a choice, do we? Mike is pretty big on office bonding." She was referring to their wack job of a boss who thought getting wasted together constituted an actual emotional connection. Edward couldn't really complain, though, because it was at one of these forced office functions that his future may have been laid.

"Yeah, you're right. Making us drink the kool-aid, so to speak."

She grinned. "Well, I need to get back to my work. Talk to you later."

"Yeah, bye."

Bella walked back to her desk, allowing herself a single glance toward him before tucking into her desk. She crossed her legs beneath the table and dug her fingers into her knee.

"Calm down," she whispered to herself.

So what if he had mentioned the party?

Sure, he had gone out of his way to ask her if she was going but that was no guarantee that he remembered last year. It was a fairly common question he had asked. They were coworkers after all and he was probably just being nice. Still, though, there could be-

STOP.

She forced the thoughts to halt and told herself that there was no point beating the conversation to death. Whether or not he remembered last year would be revealed at the party. It had to.

Until then, she would wait.

Edward finished his work early and skipped out before the traffic really built up. He got home around four and when he walked into his apartment it already smelled like beer. Emmett was sitting on the couch watching the same football game that he had yesterday.

"Who's winning?" Edward joked.

Emmett didn't answer, only taking another sip of his beer. Edward sat down next to him, looking at his face and then at the television screen. "I don't like their pants," he tried. "I think they need to be tighter."

Emmett didn't even attempt to call him gay. This was serious.

"I miss her, man," he finally said. "I know I cheated on her and shit but-damn it- I miss her."

"You'll be okay, buddy. It just takes time."

"Do you think she's with someone?"

Edward shook his head immediately. "No, she probably looks a lot like you right now. You both just need time."

"You think she'll come back?"

Edward sighed. "Emmett, what do you think? I don't want to be harsh but you didn't leave on the best terms."

Emmett leaned forward and cradled his head in his hands. "I really fucked stuff up, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did." He clapped him on the back. "It'll be okay, though. You'll get over this. You're young. You're strapping."

"I'm a fuck-up."

"Hey, some people find that attractive."

He was relieved to hear Emmett laugh in his hands. He sat up and looked at Edward for a moment before saying, "You have a unique brand of humor, Cullen."

"Glad to see someone appreciates it."

Emmett glanced down at his hands again and gave one long exhale. He raised his gaze to straight ahead and murmured, "I have to get her back."

"Emmett-"

"I love her and I know she loves me. There has to be some way to make it all up to her. I know it."

"Well, why don't you think it over for a few days?" Edward proposed, hoping that all his thinking would think the idea right out of his head. "While you think, why don't we go get drunk, huh?"

Emmett nodded, reaching blindly for his coat. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Edward stood up and wiped his hands showily on his pants. "Fantastic, come on bud, we're going to have us some fun."

_One Day Until Valentine's Day_

One day until Valentine's Day and everyone was feeling the pressure. Edward and Bella tiptoed carefully around each other, both wondering if the other remembered the vow they had made under the bright neon lights.

Emmett glowered in his own living room now, remembering how Rosalie's skin had felt beneath his fingers.

Rosalie was following Bella's suggestion to watch a sad movie to purge her of any lingering tears. The main character reminded her of Emmett.

Edward and Bella met again at the coffee machine. This time was not as fortuitous as the first. Edward had seen her putting the grounds in the machine and had quickly walked over to wait for it to brew.

"Someone's antsy," she teased. "It's gonna take a minute, you know."

"I know," he told her with an easy smile. "I like the first cup, though. Usually don't get the chance for that here."

"Hey, shouldn't I get the first cup?" She asked innocently. "I did put the grounds in and all."

"And I am standing here and entertaining you while it brews. Don't I get some points for that?"

She laughed. "I don't think so, Cullen."

"I mean, this charming banter," he continued. "It doesn't come for free."

"Fine, have your damn cup of coffee," she retorted with a grin.

"Thank you. It is much appreciated." His eyes lingered on her lips when they curved into a grin and he found himself blushing as she felt his gaze. Quickly he looked down and then asked, "So, how's that friend of yours doing?"

"She's good. Hurting, still, you know, but Rosalie's strong."

"Rosalie?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, Rosalie Hale."

To say that he was surprised at this name would be a gross understatement. He shook his head slowly and said, "Well, I'll be damned."

When she looked at him oddly he said, "Want to guess my friend's name?"

It took her a moment but then something in her face clicked and she replied, "Emmett McCarty."

"You've got it."

"This is unbelievable," she breathed out.

"You're telling me."

She leaned against the counter. "You know, your friend is kind of an asshole."

Edward smirked. "I know, he kind of is. He loves her, though. He's an absolute wreck without her."

Bella snorted somewhat unkindly. "From what I've heard about Emmett, I'm sure he has no problem keeping his bed warm."

"She took more out of him than he'd care to admit," Edward said.

"Well, she's better off without him. And she's healing, slowly but surely. I'm taking her to the party tomorrow." She quickly gauged his reaction at her mentioning the party. "Figure it'll raise her spirits."

"I'm sure it will."

"You won't tell Emmett, will you?" Bella asked suddenly. "It would upset her."

"Of course not," he answered.

The sound of the coffee percolating slowly puttered out and Bella reached past Edward for her cup. The bottom edge of her wrist brushed his arm and she felt him shudder. Their eyes met and for a second she swore that she could not hear any sound besides their breathing.

"Bella," he said in a low voice. That one name seemed to hold so much meaning and she had this sudden fear that he was going to say that he remembered last year and that he was dating someone. Or even worse, that he was unattached but had no interest in becoming any sort of attached to her. Quickly she put down her coffee cup and mumbled, "I don't think I want coffee, after all."

She walked to her desk as fast as her feet would take her.

Rosalie sat in Bella's living room and watched Bobby Flay flip a steak on the grill. He did it so well and it made her think of her and Emmett's cooking nights when she would subject herself to his terrible cooking. Undercooked chicken, overly seasoned vegetables, she had swallowed it all with a smile and told him how wonderful it all was.

The show went to a commercial.

Her phone rang and she picked it up casually, not even bothering to look at who it was. It was probably Bella-she was always checking up on her.

"I'm with Bobby," she said into the phone.

"Rose."

Her body went stiff and she had to remind herself to breathe. "Emmett, why are you calling me?"

"Who's Bobby?"

"Why are you calling me?"

There was a pause and then he reluctantly said, "I wanted to know how you were."

She didn't respond.

"So, how are you?"

"Just fine," she answered. "I'm going to a party tomorrow night with the friend I'm staying with. It should be fun."

"Who are you staying with?"

She told him without reserve. She knew he wouldn't come because to do so would be shameful. He would have to grovel, put himself in a vulnerable position, and that is something Emmett McCarty would never do.

"I miss you, Rose."

"Well, then maybe you shouldn't have cheated on me."

"I'm sorry, babe. I'm so sorry."

He sounded genuine and she felt the small splinters in her heart deepen. She sniffed lightly and hoped he hadn't heard. "That's just too damn bad. Good bye, Emmett."

She hung up the phone.

Edward stood outside of Emmett's front door, knocking repeatedly. It took Emmett longer than usual to answer and he found himself grateful that he had a bag of Mexican food in his arms. Nothing cheered Emmett up more than a burrito as big as his head.

"What are you doing here?" Emmett asked when he finally answered the door.

Edward held up the bag. "I came with reinforcements."

Emmett smiled slightly and stepped to the side to let him in. He walked into the living room and wrinkled his nose. The place smelled like there was pizza stuck under the cushions and Emmett didn't smell too hot, himself. He had the distinct odor of someone who had consumed nothing but alcohol for the past forty eight hours.

"I have a weird story for you," Edward said.

"What is it?"

"Remember that Bella girl I had told you about? The one from work?" Emmett had never heard anything about any Bella from Edward, but the name pricked his interest.

"Yeah, yeah, go on."

"Rosalie's staying with her."

Emmett's entire body buzzed with focus now.

"That means that I can tell you in complete assurance that she is doing well. You don't have to worry about her."

"Rose's staying with her?" He asked, seeking a clarification that he didn't need.

"Yup." A thought occurred to Edward and he quickly added, "Now, I can't arrange anything between you two, obviously. That could cause friction at work. But I ask about Rosalie every now and then and I'd be more than happy to pass on the news."

Emmett nodded and then carefully asked, "You got plans for tomorrow night?"

Edward pulled out the burritos and groaned. "I wish I didn't. One of those office parties, you know."

Emmett nodded slowly, his mind moving too fast for him to catch all the thoughts.

"Think I could tag along?" He asked.

Edward didn't answer for a moment. "Uh, no, I don't think that would work. It's, um, only for employees."

He saw his bluff immediately.

"Okay, that's fine."

Edward nodded and took a bite of his burrito. Emmett did not bring up the party or Rosalie again, but in the recesses of his mind a plan was forming.

A plan was definitely forming.

_Valentine's Day_

The party was upon them. The work day had slipped by and now with the sun dipped far into the horizon, people were beginning to shuffle into the corporate rented party room. Mike did well this year with the location. It was a country club that offered more than cheap beer. Bella and Rosalie were some of the first there, more than a few men casting Rosalie appreciative glances.

"You cannot sleep with anyone here," Bella told her under her breath. "And believe me, you don't want to."

"I'm not ready yet. Especially after he called me earlier," Rosalie said after a small sigh. "Anyway, these men aren't exactly my type."

Bella smiled. "These men aren't anyone's type, Rose."

"I'm going to get something to drink? You want anything?"

Bella shook her head. "No."

"You sure? I have a feeling you'll need it."

Bella hesitated and then answered, "Fine, but nothing too strong."

Rosalie walked off and Bella had a feeling she would come back with something that would turn her hair white. She glanced around her casually and gasped lightly when she recognized someone walk through the entrance.

"That ass," she breathed out.

Emmett McCarty was dressed in a nice suit, a deep red shirt accenting his light complexion. It was ironic how he had ended up matching Rosalie without trying. She turned toward the bar and watched anxiously as Rosalie turned with two drinks. She caught Bella's eye and offered her a smile.

Emmett had seen that smile too and out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw him make his way toward her.

"Oh, shit."

She rushed toward Rosalie, only to be intercepted by Edward. He smiled wide at her and said, "Hey there, stranger."

"I can't believe you," she snapped.

"What?"

"You should be ashamed of yourself." With those parting words she turned on her heel and walked to Rosalie. By some miracle she reached her before Emmett and she quickly told her, "Emmett's here, Rose."

Before Rosalie could react Emmett was bearing over her and in a voice softer than she had ever heard coming from that man's mouth he said, "Rose, baby, please talk to me."

"You shouldn't be here," she said, shaking her head.

"She doesn't want to talk to you," Bella said forcefully. You should leave."

"I need to talk to you," Emmett continued, plowing right past Bella. "Being without you these few days, well, it taught me things. Things about myself, you know? Rose-"

"Bella," Rosalie interrupted, her eyes studying his face. "Can Emmett and I have some privacy just for a moment?"

"Rose-"

"Please?"

Bella glanced between the two of them and said, "Are you sure about this?"

Rosalie nodded. "Should give me a good laugh if nothing else." When Bella didn't move she said, "Really, Bella, I'll be fine."

Reluctantly, Bella moved away from them. She saw Edward moving toward her and swore under her breath. Quickly she moved away from him, heading for the exit. She heard him follow. There was a courtyard just off of the country club's premises and she had passed a poorly shaped topiary when he reached her.

"Bella!"

"What?" She snapped, turning sharply. "What could you possibly have to say to me?"

"Um, I don't know, how about what the hell is going on?"

"You think I'm so stupid to not notice? Emmett is in there."

Edward shook his head. "What are you talking about? Emmett is at home probably killing his liver or something."

"No, right now he's having a heart to heart with Rosalie."

"What-"

"I told you not to tell him Rosalie was coming. I specifically asked you to keep it quiet and you went and told him anyway."

"No, I actually told him that he couldn't come. I mentioned the party last night and he asked if he could come. I told him no."

Bella felt the distinct need to pace, to do something other than look at this man who had her so angry she could spit. "Well then how did he know Rose was here? Because when he walked in he was definitely looking at her."

"I don't know," Edward said. "I have no idea. But I didn't tell him."

"Look, I don't like being lied to," Bella began. "I-"

Emmett called Rosalie.

The thought came suddenly and in that same thread she realized how Emmett knew Rosalie was at the party. She sat heavily onto a nearby bench and shook her head to herself.

"She told him," she mumbled.

Edward sat next to her. "I told you that I didn't say anything."

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm so embarrassed now."

"It's okay," he told her. "It would seem that I told, wouldn't it?"

She nodded.

The night was nippy and he pulled his suit coat tighter around his body. He glanced at Bella who was wearing a sleeveless dress. He rose from his seat and said, "We should head inside. It's pretty cold."

"I like it out here," she answered. He glanced back and she was sitting solidly on the bench and her body showed no intention of moving. He smiled slightly and pulled off his jacket.

"Fine, at least put this on."

She smiled softly in gratitude and pulled her arms through the sleeves. The jacket was several sizes to large on her and hung awkwardly on her small frame.

"I feel like a little kid," she joked.

"It looks good on you," he assured her. "Very Diane Keaton in Annie Hall."

She wrinkled her nose a bit and laughed. When she felt his eyes heavily on her face the laughter died down. She glanced down at her hands uncomfortably, the question on the tip of her tongue. It's the question she had wanted to ask for an entire year.

Now was her chance.

"Edward, do you remember last year?"

He paused. "Yes."

"Go on," Rosalie said. "What do you have to say to me?"

"Rosalie Hale, I am in love with you."

She rolled her eyes.

"No, don't give up on me yet. I…I came up with something to tell you." The slight hesitation in his voice caught her attention and she looked at him with nonchalant anticipation. He almost sounded nervous, something she had never heard.

"Okay, let's hear it."

He took a deep breath. "Rosalie, I am honest to God in love with you. I love how you listen to Christmas music all fucking year. I love how you spit out seeds from watermelon and always seem to miss your plate."

She smirked.

"I love the way you hold my hand under the table at dinners like we're high school kids or something. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. Rose, baby, I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody-"

"You want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible," she finished softly. "You stole that from Harry Burns."

His face fell. "It's your favorite movie. I…um…I thought you would like it."

"You hate that movie. Every time I have forced you to watch it with me you complain the entire time."

He didn't respond. She was looking at him hard then and he knew she was looking for the bluff. She was trying to find a lie, a mark of insincere motives. Finally she asked, "How many times did you watch it to memorize that dialogue?"

"About four times." He couldn't tell if she was impressed or not so he added, "It wasn't that much to memorize."

She gazed at him and he could see the internal conflict in her eyes. He knew that he had hurt her and probably didn't even deserve to be forgiven. If only he could convince her that he was all in this time. He was all in.

"That is just like you, Em," she finally said, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. He felt the cold grip on his heart lift as she said, "You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you. And I hate you, Emmett. I really hate you."

He pulled her to him and covered her lips with his.

He remembered.

Electricity seemed to shoot from between them as they sat on that bench. For clarification sake Bella said, "I'm talking about that night-"

"I know."

"Where we said-"

"I know."

"Edward?" He turned his face to hers and then tasted the sweetest sugar ever to touch his lips. Hers were soft and supple, moving against his slowly at first but then more urgently as her hands found his hair. After all the days of imagining what it would be like to kiss Bella Swan, he found the actual thing insurmountably better than he had imagined.

Bella, herself, was finding herself lost in her fantasy that had suddenly become reality. She grabbed a handful of hair and pulled his lips down more against her own. She wanted him close, so close that she wouldn't be able to tell her lips from his.

He discovered his hands by now. At the start they only caressed her face, her neck. Now they travelled inside his loose suit jacket. They encircled her waist, rubbed up and down her back. To her surprise, they found their way to her breasts and cupped them roughly. She wasn't wearing a bra and the sensation was fresh and raw.

This one action determined the direction of their night and when she pulled her leg over him there was no question as to what would happen. She hiked up her dress and brought her hand to the crotch of his pants and could feel him straining beneath the thin material. She glanced at him with her hand still on his crotch and saw that his head was tipped back, his mouth half open. Slowly she slid down his body, letting her hands slide from his crotch down to his feet. Once crouched low enough she spread his legs and brought her mouth to the bulging material of his pants. She experimented with her tongue, pressing it lightly and then harder against him.

A low growl from him told her she was doing something right.

She went further and pressed her entire mouth against him, gently biting. Her tongue came after, pressing firmly against him. His fingers were twitching and they began to pull at his pants, trying to create more friction. She sat back and moved her fingers to the zipper of his pants, pulling it down and drawing him out. She saw the effects of her ministrations.

Standing up again she moved her legs to either side of his and felt him slide into her. Leaning forward she whispered into his ear, "Don't be gentle."

He grabbed her bottom and began to thrust into her. She worked to match his thrusts, holding onto the bench behind him. Their movements grew almost violent, their bodies slamming together.

"More," she hissed, feeling the bubble in her stomach build.

He pulled her bottom and moved her to a sharper angle, the friction building more. She thrust relentlessly against him, arching her back as he sat up more.

He was sliding off the damned bench.

At this angle, with the arch of her back the pert peaks of her breasts presented themselves nicely beneath his face and he reached down to suck one of her nipples. She moaned loudly, pressing his head down harder.

"Just keep moving," he mumbled against her sensitive skin.

She was so close and he had already reached the end, trying desperately to wait for her. Just as he thought he couldn't hold it anymore, his teeth closing down on her nipple in desperation, he felt her tighten.

They released together, her body collapsing against his. They stayed that way for a while, pressed together as their breathing returned to normal. She pulled away first, reaching down and pulling off her underwear completely. She unintentionally squirmed against him as she lifted one foot and then the other.

"A memento," she teased, stuffing it in the pocket of his jacket. She stood up fully and he tucked himself in as discretely as possible. She reached down for his hand and he gave it willingly.

"I hope Emmett and Rosalie haven't killed each other," she said lightly, pulling him up. He put his hands lightly on her waist and kissed her.

"I have a feeling they are just fine."

Hand in hand they made their way back to the party.

**Author: Spykid18**

**A/N: You like?? Please leave feedback! I'd love to hear your thoughts :-)**


	6. One Rose And One Deflowering

**Entry for the V-day countdown - Cupid's Lil 'Ut Oh' – Hosted by Breath-of-twilight **

**A/N I'd like to thank Kelli, who's the fabulous lady who put this whole thing together! And also for giving me the chance to write a one shot for this countdown! **

**Pairing – Nessie and Jacob (much, much older Nessie, keep that in mind!) **

* * *

**One rose and one de-flowering**

**Nessie:**

"Jacob? Do you really think this is such a good idea?" I asked, my voice filled with worry.

Jacob didn't turn when I asked, which made me think he didn't hear me. But I know he heard me. He just didn't like the question I asked. I stood a foot away from him. Anxious and growing impatient, quickly. He knew I didn't like what he had planned for this Valentine's Day, but he continued to load boxes of decorations into the boot of his rabbit. He loved the rabbit and never wanted to give her up. I can't understand why it's so important to him, only because he made it from scratch. He calls her his baby, and says that you can never get rid of your baby. That part, I understood well; seeing as my father wanted to terminate me when I was still in the womb, but my mother would never have let that happen. I'm forever grateful for that. I owe her my life. But she says me being alive is the only payment she needs.

I shifted my weight onto my other leg to show my impatience. But he still continued on with his loading. I took a step forward and then another. Placing my hands and my hips. I watched him like an eagle would watch its prey, my eyes burning into the back of his neck. He straightened and approached me with a gleeful smile on his face. He always used that smile on me; and most of the time it worked; but today I wouldn't let it or him change my mind. I was on a mission; and that mission was to change his mind for once and for all.

He took his last step forward, and then he was right in front of me, looking down at me with his large appealing and very tempting eyes. I could only stare, and will myself not to let them take over me. I lightly shook my head, trying to unlock my stare. I couldn't let him go on with his mad and insane plan. That isn't safe and it will never work, no matter how he words the invitations. Werewolves aren't that dumb and vampires are very skilled, they wouldn't fall into this trick. Even if they are the friendliest vampires I know, they couldn't. I wouldn't let them. I know it would hurt Jacob if no one showed up, but it's safer that way. Much, much safer for him and his friends and me and my family.

He wrapped his strong arms around my middle and pulled me close to him. He was warm and so breathtaking to be close to. How can I deny myself from this man? How can I ever hurt him? _NO! No! It's much safer if he doesn't go through with his plans! _I had to stop him. But what was the question I needed answered. How do I change his mind? _Think! Think! And hurry up about it!_ _Uh-huh, I got it, why didn't I think of it before?_

I used my dazzling smile on him and batted my eyes lashes. I ran my hands up his chest. He cocked his head at my movements. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gently pulled his head to mine. He didn't protest. Though, I knew he wouldn't. He tightened his grip around me and lifted my body up against his. My lips found his. My lips locked on his. I kissed him harder, and he didn't hang back. He moved me and him to the closet wall and leaned my back up against it. I used it to force myself higher. I pushed back on the wall and lifted my legs, hitching them around his waist. His hands moved to my waist, then up under my shirt. Something sprang inside me, arguing me to go further. I knew what had pushed me to continue, it was lust. My lust for Jacob. I knew he felt the same things turning him on, because he pushed me harder into the wall and pulled up on the edges of my shirt, it slipped over my head and I reached for his. He held me tight as I ripped of his t-shirt. His strong and very warm hands slipped over my jean-covered ass and up my bare back. He pulled his face back to get a better look at me. Desire flashed in his eyes as he viewed me and my breasts in my bra. He groaned loudly, wanting more. I gripped his shoulders and we kissed again. The kiss was deepening; I sucked on his bottom lip and lined the inside of his mouth with my tongue. I felt something push hard against my thigh. Oh, it felt so good! I didn't have to guess what it was. Jacob's erection. I did that to him! Fire burned though my veins. I turned him on! He pulled away, panting hard. Right, I forgot he needed to breathe. As he took a breather I kissed his neck. Smothering him with my kisses. Licking and sucking. He groaned. He needed more, as did I. I knew what he wanted and I knew what I wanted. And that was Jacob. In me. For him to pop-my cherry, for him to de-flower me, for him to take me, for me to give myself to him. But I also wanted something else from him, something different.

I stopped kissing him and moved my hands to the sides of his neck. To make him look me in the eye. I knew what I was about to say would be so wrecking the moment and the mood, but wasn't that the point of my mission; to change his mind? Even if that meant to turn him on? But I didn't mean this to lead to me being turned on. But I'm sure it would've happened anyway.

"Nessie, I know what you're trying to do!" Jacob began. Oh, he knew! He brushed a strand of hair from my face. His erection still pushed hard into my thigh.

"Is it working?" I asked. I feared it wouldn't work. But it had to work! It was my only plan and it seemed to be working fine.

"I so wish it was!" He claimed, still taking long breaths.

Damn it! I unwrapped myself from Jacob. The air against my bare skin felt cold. I longed to be pushed up against Jacob again. The fire still burnt though me, and I had a feeling it wasn't going to stop until Jacob and I…well, got further than we did.

"I got you turned on for nothing then!" I laughed. Looking around for my shirt.

"Well, at least you know you _can_ turn me on!" He admitted. My mouth dropped!

I turned around to face Jacob, his gleeful smile was back.

"Of course I can turn you on! Like come on, with a body like this!" I smile, showing off my body with a small twirl. He laughed and pulled me in for a hug. His bare chest and mine were pushed together and I felt another hard erection on my thigh. I couldn't help but giggle. He looked down and I could tell he was embarrassed.

"Don't worry, Jacob, its only normal!" I laughed out loud, again.

"Yeah, only normal when one's horny!" He agreed, still looking down.

"Only, when a guy gets horny!" I boasted. My voice still high with laughter. He rolled his eyes at me.

I smirked. He bent down and picked up his shirt and mine. There wasn't much left of this t-shirt now. My smirk was long gone now. I stood in front of Jacob. I looked up and raised my eyes brows at him. He smiled down, holding up my shirt and waving it in my face. I reached out to snatch it, but for once I wasn't quick enough, he held it high in the air till I could no longer reach it. Fuck he has long arms!

"Jacob, give me my shirt!" I asked in a polite voice. He shook his head, and cracked up laughing. I can't go home in just my bra and jeans; they'll know this had something to do with Jacob. And them all knowing me and Jacob… No I can't let them know or think that. My father would so have something to say about that. Why oh, why Jacob?

"What do I have to do?" I asked. I couldn't win this one. I just couldn't, no matter how turned on I get him.

"Don't try to wreck my plans for tonight!" He bargained. No! No anything but that!

"Jacob, werewolves and vampires at the same party? Not such a great idea!" I cried. The only thing I could think of was to beg. I hated when I ran out of options, and with no options the only thing I could do was beg. No, that's not totally true, I always had one more options, but that would go beyond my rule of not hurting a human, even though Jacob isn't really a human.

"Nessie, don't worry. I've already talked to Sam and the pack and the Cullen's; they all agree to be on their best behavior." He claimed. Of course he has spoken to all of them already! Clearly Jacob didn't see the danger in this. Was I the only one who did?

I might as well give up on keeping everyone safe; it never seems to work anyway.

"Fine, I agree to this _party_. Doesn't mean I'll enjoy it!" I agreed, sadly enough, I knew it was the only way to please Jacob. Well, it's not the_ only_ way to please him.

"You, will. Trust me!" He replied, suddenly sounding so sure of himself. As if! I'm not going to enjoy this _party_; I'll make sure of it.

"My shirt…Now!" I demanded. He nodded and handed my shirt back. He knew I wasn't pleased, and he wasn't about to displease me more; he knew better than that. I looked down at my bust, and looked back up. Jacob was ogling my breasts; ME! My face stretched into a wicked smile. I know how I can get back at him for having this _party_, tease him. Use my body as my weapon; make him lust after me; make him pant and drive for me. Perfect! And seeing as I turned him on so easily… I don't see how hard this could be? Though, I can't do that in this shirt or these jeans. I need to change. Luckily I do have a change of clothes. What? You never know when you need a spare of clothes. I keep a drawer of clothes in Jacob's room.

"I'll be back in a minute, Jacob." I told Jacob, my wicked smile still lingered on my face. Through I know Jacob would have no idea about my new plan. I trotted off to his room to change.

I rumbled through the limited clothes I had here. I had a better range of clothes at home, but I'll have to make do with the stuff I have here, for now. I pulled out a pair of short shorts. They'll show of my long legs. Next, I pulled out a see-though white low cut tank top. Perfect, this will show off my boobs, hug my curves and it's see-though! All I need is a pair of heels. I know I have a pair of black platform high heels here somewhere. I left them here just the other day! They must be here somewhere. I fell to my knees and looked under Jacob's bed. Found ya! I pulled them out from their hiding place and slipped them on. Once dressed I headed back outside. I hoped he didn't ask why I changed, because I didn't have an explanation for him, besides, I want to tease you. But I'm fairly sure he won't.

I trotted up to Jacob, as he put the last box in the boot. He turned around and froze at the sight of me. I'm taking that as a good thing. I smiled blissfully at him. He took at step towards me, reaching to wrap his arms around me. But I beat him to the punch. I placed a hand on his chest, running my hand down. He still didn't have a shirt on, but I'm sure there isn't enough to put on. His chest was smooth and tough. I kept moving my hand down; to his sensitive area. He groaned as I lightly ran my hand over him, and then I ran my hand back up to his chest. Taking another step closer to him. He pulled me against his hard-as-rock erection. He moaned in utter pleasure as I pushed harder up against him. He weaved his hands up under my tank top. Roaming his warm hands over my back. I gripped his shoulders and I still pushed harder against him. Another moaned escaped from his lips. I laughed blissfully and so did he. He gripped my ass, picking me up. He rubbed me up against his erection. OH, that felt good, to him and me!

"Oh, God! Nessie, I need you now!" He claimed. I smirked to myself, mainly. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. This was the perfect time to stop. Leaving him wanting more. Leaving him flushed hot with desire. I had to walk away now for my plan to have effect.

"I know," I reached up and kissed him on the lips quickly and moved away from his body. "But I have to go and get ready for the party." I took a step back. His eyes stunned that I put him off.

"Nessie?" He howled. His eyes stunned and slightly more shocked now. He stumbled to walk towards me.

"See you later, Jacob!" I slowly walked off. Leaving my man confused and wanting more. I felt bad for leaving him like that. But I'm sure he'll get over it, once he sees me tonight!

* * *

The house was alive the moment I walked up to the front door. I twisted the doorknob with a flick of my wrist; the door gave way quickly. The house was light; as normal. I couldn't see anyone, but I knew everyone was here. Most of them getting ready for Jacob's party. I'm quite sure none of them knew Sam's pack was invited as well. And they will be surprised to see them all there. Did Jacob really expect vampires and werewolves would get along, and make normal conversation? Like, come on. You don't need a brain to figure that one out. I raced to my room; expecting to see Alice in my room with a dress already laid out of my bed, but Alice wasn't in there and there was no dress. Well that means I can pick something out that will make Jacob drool in desire. I opened my closet door and entered my walk-in-wardrobe. It was the size of a small room. If people didn't know better they'd all think it was where we kept bodies, though, people did know better. I searched though my dresses to find something that said come-and-get-me, but not is a smutting way and that said it only to Jacob. Hmmm… A green floor-length dress? Nah…not casual enough. I can't forget that party is in the middle of the forest, so whatever I wear can't be that posh. Even with such a large range of clothes to pick from I can never seem to find something casual enough to wear around Jacob, seeing as he only wears a plan t-shirt and cut off jeans. I always feel over-dressed around him, and around the whole pack! I always ask Alice to buy me something causal for me to wear but she can't help buying posh and not-really-made-for-the-outdoors clothes. Uh-huh… I don't really want to wear jeans, maybe a nice high-waisted skirt, sleeveless top and a pair of matching high-heels? That doesn't seem like going over the top, but then again it's not really an outfit that flows when you move or dance. A dress. A simple but nice dress. I'm going to go with a pink a white cocktail dress with matching white high heels. Pink is one of this holidays colors and it matches my mood; flirtatious. Not too posh and not too casual for an outdoor party. Perfect! Once dressed I fluffed up my hair and added a layer or two of eye-liner and lip-gloss. I turned to my full-length mirror, swirled around. The dress flowed around me like a waterfall. It wasn't slutty but it made me look sexy. This is perfect for my plan to come to an end. I can only hope Jacob likes it and takes the bait.

I paced down the stairs, suddenly feeling nervous. But what about? Tonight? No, I shouldn't feel nervous; tonight I had nothing to be nervous about. Everyone was dressed and now they were just waiting to leave.

"Who you trying to impress?" Edward, my father, said. His voice was low with curiosity. Huh, my protective father, he'll never learn I'm clearly older enough to look this sexy and not be trying to impress anyone.

"I'm not trying to impress anyone, Father, I can dress how I like." I replied, holding my head high.

But I was trying to impress someone, and that someone was Jacob. I just lied to my own father; it was only a small white lie, that's not going to hurt him, anytime soon.

"Come on! Let's go!"

I looked to my side to see Alice gliding to the door. Jasper right behind her. We all followed them out and loaded into the cars.

I stepped out of the car and landed my feet on damp grass. Ahhh… Not so great for high heels.

I stayed at the back of the group, letting them all go first. I wanted Jacob to see me last. I could smell the werewolves. We were getting close now. A glow of orange light made its way into view. I stepped onto a hard outdoor mat. The ground was uneven under the mat, but at least my heels won't sink into the ground. Jacob had clearly thought of everything! Small lanterns were hanging in the trees, making everything a deep orange. It was beautiful. How on earth did Jacob manage all this in a few hours? He clearly had help!

Jacob looked shocked and relived when he saw me. I smiled at him and he smiled back. His gleeful smile no longer lingered on his perfect face, his smile was more blissful. His eyes looked deep with emotions. The orange light made his skin look darker than what it actually was. He looked like an angle with a tangy color clinging to his skin. My heart flattered in my chest. I thought it might grow wings and take off. I never thought of Jacob as an angel before, but now I couldn't help but think of him as an angel. In a way he was an angel, he was a protector, he was a boy who feel in love with the wrong kind of person. That wrong kind of person being me; I'm a vampire, deep down he knew it, too. But he never saw me for what I truly was. He saw me as a half-breed; half human- half vampire. I guess I'm glad for that; he loves both my sides even if one is more wicked than the other, he still loves me. And, he would have me either way. I pranced up to him. Feeling light as a feather and happier than a kid in a candy store, and it was all because of Jacob.

He held his arms out for me and I entered them like a mouse who just found the chunk of cheese sitting on a mouse trap. He was my trap, and I was never getting out nor did I want to ever get out. We didn't need to say anything; we both knew how we each felt.

The party surprisingly was a success! Both werewolves and vampires had a good time; they all made small talk with each other as if they'd been friends since kindergarten. The only person that tried to stay away from the werewolves was Rosalie, but I know she has a good time dancing with Emmet on the wooden platform Jacob had made.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, I had a great time, though I didn't tell Jacob that, but I knew he already knew that I did.

We both thanked each person for coming and said good-bye and good night. I knew Mother and Father would wonder if I was coming home with them or not. But I think they got the message when Jacob put this arm around my middle.

Jacob took my hand and led me into the forest. I just followed; I didn't protest or ask questions. Wherever he was taking me, he knew where to go. We neared a clearing and the trees thinned out. He pulled me through one last bush and onto soft sand. We were at a beach. The moon was high in the sky and lit up the beach with a sliver glow. The waves crushed onto the beach in light rumbles. The air was salted and a light breeze moved the salt and sand around.

Jacob pulled me to his chest. I laid my head on this solid chest, feeling it rise and fall. He held me close, and I knew he didn't want to let go of me. I laced my arms around his neck and pulled his lips to mine. The kiss deepened and we feel to the sand. He laid me down softly on my back and came to lean over me. His arms supporting him. He kissed me again, this time the kiss was passionate. My hands explored his body. I reached for the buttons on his shirt and undone them all. I pulled the shirt over his shoulders and off his arms. He sat up. Looking down at me. I didn't know what he was waiting for? We both wanted it. So why wait?

"Nessie, please let me claim you." His voice was as light as a whisper. But I heard him. He was asking for permission. I didn't know guys asked for permission. I had to answer him. And there was only one answer. YES! But I couldn't find my voice. It was stuck somewhere. I nodded at him, giving him approval. He came down and kissed me on the lips again. He paused then reached for his pants. As he took off his pants I removed my dress as well as my bra and knickers. He too had removed his knickers and had already put on a condom. He sat back ogling me. I felt nervous again and also embarrassed. I had never been fully undressed in front of Jacob or, in fact, anyone before. I hid my face with my hair. I didn't wish to see his face as he viewed my body. He reached out, brushing my hair away from my face.

"Don't hide from me, please." His voice was smooth.

I looked up his eyes were sweet. I nodded once and he came forward lingering over me. I knew first when he entered it would hurt, but after the pain would come pleasure. He parted my legs and lowered his self further down. I knew he was at my entrance. He was ready. And I hope I was too. But he had stopped; I looked up, wondering why he had stopped.

"Ready?" He asked

And at that moment I knew I was ready. I was ready to give myself to the man I loved, to let him claim me, making me his and only his.

"Yes. I'm ready, Jacob." I said as clearly as I could.

He slowing pushed himself into me. I cried out as he did, I breathed, trying to calm myself. I just had to get used to his size. And what a size it was!

"I'm sorry!" He pleaded. I shook my head, saying I'm fine. Letting him know to go on.

He pulled himself out and plunged back into me. There was no pain only delight. He was going slowing; trying not to hurt me. I needed friction, and I needed it now.

"Jacob! Please! Faster!" I panted.

I immediately felt him quicken up. His thrusts becoming faster and harder. A knot in the pit of my stomach grew and he plunged into me faster and faster. My back arched; I dug my finger nails into his back. He didn't stop he moved faster and faster with each thrust, I didn't think that speed was possible. The knot tightened more and more. I was like I was about to explode or blow. I groaned with desire.

I was hitting my climax. His speed was breathtaking. His body was pressed down on mine. His weight felt good on me.

"Jacob, don't stop!" I moaned. I was afraid he would stop, not letting me reach my high.

It felt like pressure was building up inside of me, getting ready for the blow of pleasure.

I knew it was coming and tried to prepare to it, but it wasn't something I could prepare for. I found that out later.

"OH, GOD!" I yelled from the top of my lungs, "JACOB!" Fire poured through my body. It was delightful, more than delightful.

He continued to pump until he too hit his high point. He came just after I did. I guess that's normal, for the guy to come second.

"OH. OH. NESSIE!" he howled. His howl was light and high, I'd never heard him howl like that before, it was normally a deep sorrow howl as if he was calling to someone, this howl was different, it told me he enjoyed. A warm liquid filled his condom and he pulled himself out, removing it. I felt empty and somewhat hollow but completely full at the same time. He collapsed beside me. We were both panting loudly. Our chests rising and falling with speed.

"Oh wow! That was mind-blowing!" he said.

"I agree!" I replied, still breathless.

The breeze washed over our heated bodies; cooling us from head to foot.

He leaned of this elbow, facing me. I forced myself up. He pulled out something from behind his back and handed it to me. It was a rose. I took it and drew in its beautiful perfume.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Nessie." He leaned forward and kissed me again.

* * *

**Author – Wisher Tales **

_**Hi to those reading, I hoped you enjoyed. Review if you liked it! Thanks for reading!**_

_**P.S I apologize for anything mistakes in the one shot.**_

_**xoxox Wisher Tales**_


	7. A Story Of Love

**An: Hey all, it's I'mwiththevampires08 bringing you this one shot of love. I didn't go with a traditional love story format. This is a timeline of love, if you will. It's very, very special to my heart and I would very much appreciate it if you would review at the end. I'm not kidding when I say I put my heart into this!**

**Many thanks to keepingupwiththekids for her mad beta skills. She always does a great job!**

**This is my contribution to the Valentine's Day Count Down**

* * *

**A Story of Love**

**February 14, 1992 – 6****th**** Grade - Elementary**

"Now class, it's very important for you to line up your numbers when working with decimals. If you don't, it can be very tricky when solving the problem. You must be careful or you'll end up putting the decimal in the wrong spot."

Mrs. Wilson droned on and on about math. I absolutely hated the subject. I wasn't very good at it at all. I had no idea why we even had to do it. Were we going to use this when we got older?

I looked at the clock on the wall again. It was almost two o' clock, in fifteen more minutes we'd be done with this subject and could start our class party.

Today was Valentine's Day. I was so excited to get to school, I almost forgot my Valentine's Day cards at home. They were extra nice too – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had begged Esme to splurge on getting them for me. I couldn't wait to give them away.

I looked at the clock again, it was so close to party time... Time had never moved so slow in my life! I glanced around the room and noticed that everyone else looked to be as impatient to start this party as I did. I caught the eye of Jessica Stanley sitting a couple of rows behind me and she smiled. I smiled back as I was expected to do. I never did enjoy all the attention I got from everyone but I followed along because I wanted to have friends. If you were a part of the popular crowd, you did what you could to stay there.

I glanced at the quiet brown haired girl that sat next to me. She never spoke much…at all. Even while the teacher was talking, she was doodling on her paper. I could see a paperback book peeking out from under her desk on her lap, so I knew she was trying to read as the teacher lectured.

Out of boredom, I looked at her a bit closer. I knew her name was Bella and she loved to read…but other than that, I knew nothing. Her clothes said little about her. They were plain and not name brand in the slightest…in fact, they looked a bit worn. Not dirty, but old. I glanced up into her face, hoping to get a look into her brown eyes. She refused to meet my gaze.

Despite what all the other kids said in class, I always thought she was kind of pretty. The only problem was that she always looked sad…she didn't have any friends and spoke very little. Everyone in class made fun of her for this and although I never joined them, I did nothing.

I decided to try to engage in a bit of conversation to kill the time. Maybe, if I'm lucky, she'll smile at me. She did have a pretty smile.

"Hey, what are you reading there?"

She looked at me with wide eyes, not believing I was speaking to her. After a few moments, I tried again.

"Your book? What are you reading?"

She blushed and looked down, pulling out her book. "It's uhh…a mystery book."

Bella spoke so softly, I strained to hear her. "Oh, a mystery huh?" I strained to peer over and took a glance at the cover. _Wait Till Helen Comes._

I nodded and sat back down. "Is it good?"

She bit her bottom lip and nodded her head. She looked so scared…like I was going to come up and bite her or something…although, any other guy in this room and I wouldn't doubt it. She went back to staring at the paper in front of her, forgetting about me once again.

I at least wanted to get a smile out of her to brighten up her face. "Well, Bella, I just wanted to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day."

Her face was in shock as she looked at me. After a moment, her lips turned up into a sad smile. I wasn't sure why she was always so sad, but I knew she'd be beautiful instead of just pretty if she had better clothes and a happy smile.

"Edward Cullen, pick up your items and move over here by Jessica Stanley please. You seem to keep talking to Miss Swan and interrupting my lecture. This will be your permanent spot for the remainder of the year."

I sighed and picked up my things, taking one last look at Bella. She didn't look at me, merely continued to look at her paper. I shuffled over and sat by Jessica and all the other 'populars'. No sooner had I sat there than Jessica whispered over to me, "What were you doing talking to Bella Swan? She doesn't talk to anyone and besides…she's dirty!"

I just shrugged not really having an answer for her and for everyone else listening to us. All I knew was that I hoped that Bella would one day find her happy smile instead of that sad one she always wore.

"Alright class, it's time for our Valentine's Day party. Please put everything away and find a seat. You can choose anywhere to sit."

Of course, I sat down with a big group of people and we laughed and joked. I glanced over at Bella and sure enough, she sat in the corner by herself and nibbled on her chocolate candy while reading. I turned back toward my friends and smiled at them.

Soon, Isabella Swan was forgotten.

**February 14, 1994 – 8****th**** Grade – Jr. High**

"Mom, I'm leaving. I'll be back later on tonight."

"Alright sweetheart. Be careful. Go straight there and back. Don't go anywhere else."

I nodded and walked out, shutting the door behind me. I'd lived in this neighborhood since I was eleven. Before then, I lived in another city. I've been walking around here for a couple of years now, and at this moment, I was walking to my friend Angela's house. She lived a couple of streets down from me, so I took the quickest shortcuts through the allies.

I was a bit excited since this is the first time I'd ever gone to someone's house. Ever since my father was sent to jail last year, things at my house have been a lot better. I never told anyone about the abuse going on and it shocked me when he was gone and it was finally over. For the first time, I could actually breathe and not be fearful of going home.

I passed the Newton house and kept walking. I wasn't very fearful of anyone bothering me. I was still an outcast. Once you're branded as one, no matter what you do, it follows you. I looked up and saw the Stanley house further on as well. I could name just about every house here. I walked a lot.

I approached Angela's house and knocked on the back door. I was a bit nervous and I hoped her parents were nice. She said it was no problem, but since I had no experience in these things, I took her at her word.

The screen door opened and she popped her head out. "Hey Bella, you came!"

I nodded. "Yeah, are you busy?"

"No, come on in. We can go to my room and watch some TV if you want."

Angela's room was small, just like mine. She'd been going to school with me since our sixth grade year and while she was never extremely nice, she wasn't mean either. We became closer this year since we were put in the same class. It turns out, she was pretty nice and I had opened up considerably this year. I was still very quiet and kept to myself, but I no longer looked like a scared cat when you spoke to me.

We sat and talked about everything we could think of, including boys. We giggled and gushed and acted totally girly. I asked to use her bathroom, and when I came back out, she was looking out her window.

"Bella, come here quick!! You have to see this!!"

I ran toward the window and took a look. The next door neighbor's house was only a few feet away so when I looked across, I could see the figures inside perfectly.

Walking around was Emmett and Jasper, without any shirts. They were talking and laughing and having a good time. When Jasper moved over, I saw Edward…in nothing but a towel.

My mouth dropped open and I couldn't believe what I saw. Edward looked wonderfully sculpted. All three were in football, but Edward was the only one in our grade level. The other boys were in high school.

I tugged on Angela's arm and whispered harshly, "What are you doing?! They'll catch us!"

She giggled. "It doesn't matter. They know we're here, they're not stupid. They left the curtains and blinds open! It's fine."

I looked back out and continued my gaze. Edward was always beautiful in my eyes. He never really spoke to me much, but I understood why. He was part of the popular crowd and when we went to Jr. High, it just solidified. I was way under his league.

I don't even think he remembered me. He had tons of girlfriends. He went out with one, and the next week, it was on to someone else. I do remember one encounter we had this year.

-_Start Flashback-_

_I'm going to be late for class!_

_I slammed my locker shut and quickly turned around to run to class…except I ran into someone instead._

"_Ow! Oh, I'm so sorry…"_

_I glanced up and looked right into a brilliant shade of green eyes._

"_Sorry, I didn't see you there." he continued, "Let me help you get your books."_

_He picked them up and handed them all back to me. He glanced at my new library book and read the title._

"_Flowers in the Attic?"_

_I blushed and nodded. He smiled and handed the book back._

"_Here you go. Sorry again. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day." That's all he said, and he took off running._

_-End Flashback-_

I sighed and decided to sit back down to watch TV. We were moving this year, to the south side of town…which means I'd be going to a different high school...away from everyone I've known for the past couple of years. There was no point in ogling someone I could never have.

**February 15, 1996 – 10****th**** Grade – High School**

"I don't know man…I'm second guessing myself…"

"Dude, let's go. You'll love her, I promise!"

I paced around the building waiting for Jacob's mother. Apparently, they thought this girl that they've been friends with for a while would be someone I'd like to get to know better. I was tired of all the fake girls I had dated or fucked. Now, I just wanted someone real.

"She'd better be a fucking boatload better than Tanya."

He laughed. "Edward man, this girl doesn't compare. She's nothing like her. She's not even blonde!"

I nodded and continued pacing. I'd never met someone on a blind date before. It wasn't even a date, really. We were just meeting here at the drama club that I attended after school. She was going to join and meet me for the first time.

"Wait…does she know she's meeting me? You're not springing this up on her, are you?"

"No, of course not. My mother told her that there was this great guy she should meet at the drama club I attend. She agreed. My mom's trying to get her out of her shell."

"She's shy?"

"Yeah…well, not when you get to know her. But at first, she will be. Totally different than what you're used to."

Just then, some headlights showed up in the windows and my palms were sweaty. I really hoped she liked me. I walked out, following Jacob and saw the car doors open. A brunette stepped out and looked around the building. When her eyes settled on me, they became wider in recognition.

"Hey, I know her! I went to school with her…"

Jacob spoke up for us. "Bella, this is Edward. Edward, this is my friend Bella."

I smiled and put my hand out to her. Even in the dark, I could see her tremble and her slight blush. I didn't remember much about her, just that she had turned out to be a beautiful young woman…and she had a nice smile.

"Do you want to come inside?"

"Yes, I'd like that Edward, thank you."

Her voice was soft…like a sigh. Not only that, she actually said thank you. I knew I was in deep.

**February 18, 1996 – 10****th**** Grade – 3 days later**

"You want me to ask her to be your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Shouldn't you be the one to do it?"

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Jake and I were at Bella's house…but she didn't know we were here yet. I wanted to make it official, to ask her to be my girlfriend. I was too nervous though…what if she said no? What if she didn't feel the same? Jacob told me I was being stupid, that I was on the football team for god sakes and to grow a pair. He was right, of course, but I couldn't do it. Those other girls were easy…and Bella was special. I shook my head.

"I can't. Just please run over there and do it and tell me what she says."

He sighed and nodded, then took off running to her front door. I could see them from my vantage point but I couldn't hear them. The conversation didn't take long though and soon, Jacob came walking back, smiling.

"Well? What did she say?"

"She said, no."

"What? Well, did she say why?"

"Yes. She said she wants you to ask her. She's waiting for you at the door."

I couldn't believe it. She told Jacob no…because she wanted me to do it. She had more balls than I did.

Without another word, I walked up to her sidewalk and saw her. She was standing behind her screen door with a soft smile on her lips. I realized how much I missed her and wanted her right then. It didn't help we didn't go to the same school. I was on the north side of town…and she lived over on the south. If she said yes though, I would fix that.

"Bella…I have a question to ask you."

She nodded.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" I couldn't help how stupid I probably sounded…and the fucking blush on my face.

Her soft smile turned into a wide one. Her eyes lit up and she said, "Yes."

I was so happy, I tore open the screen door in between us and embraced her. She squealed and I lifted her up in the air, twirling her around in the air. When I sat her back down, I looked at her again, and noticed she had on her happy smile. Bella was mine, and that's all that mattered.

**June 20, 1996 – Summer after 10****th**** Grade – Edward's Birthday**

"Hey Jake, do you know where Edward is?"

"No…he was just here, but I think I saw him walking toward the back rooms."

I nodded and made my way towards the back of the building. It was his birthday today and I had made him a cake. We had just finished our drama practice and I wanted to show him what I did. We've been together for four months now, and it was the best four months of my life.

I never understood how he could've liked me. I was too quiet, reserved, and his total opposite. He said it never bothered him though and that he liked that about me. I still wasn't sure of myself…he had so much more experience than I did in this field. Plus, his ex-girlfriends were all beautiful and popular – I felt tiny compared to them.

I walked into the first room in the back, but he wasn't there. I heard voices in the next room so I walked in…only to find Edward up against the wall with Tanya all over him…kissing him in a way I thought was only reserved for me.

I breathed in sharply out of shock and both of them turned to look at me. Tanya was smiling smugly at me, while Edward looked horrified. I ran out of there as fast as I could, too humiliated to stay there any longer.

Jacob saw me run past him and called out after me, but I didn't stop. I could hear Edward running right behind me and knew it was a matter of time before he caught up to me. I ran outside and tried to cut across allies and people's backyards to get away from him.

"Bella! Please wait!! Fuck, just stop!"

This dream I lived in was too good to be true…and my bubble of happiness was just popped by that she devil that had wanted Edward ever since I had gotten with him.

Suddenly, my arm was yanked back and I almost fell over, but Edward caught me.

"Bella, where the fuck do you think you're going? You need to stop running so that I can explain…"

"Explain what, Edward? That you were kissing the blonde bitch?! I think I got the message loud and clear. How long have you been playing with me?"

He didn't let go, and I didn't blame him. If he did, I might've run again.

"Bella, I haven't been playing you! I wouldn't change high schools so that I can be with someone I care so little about. You are my whole world, my being! I told you this and I don't lie. Please believe me. I didn't know she was going to do that!"

I looked at him and he seemed so sincere…but still, he didn't push her away.

"What happened then?"

"We were talking. She asked if she could see me in private for a minute so she could ask me a question. I went to the back with her and she proceeded to tell me how much she liked me and that she wanted to be with me."

Hearing him say that hurt. I knew Tanya had played him like a puppy on a string for so long…and he really liked her. He said that all ended when he met me, but I wasn't so sure. She had everything that I didn't. What if he wanted his chance with her?

"Bella, I told her no. I told her that our chance was over. She refused to believe that and she kissed me."

"But you didn't move!"

He sighed and shook his head. "I was shocked Bella! I didn't know she was going to do that. You walked in as soon as her lips came into contact with mine! I swear I didn't kiss her back. I was just too shocked to move. But I never opened my mouth, I swear to you. You are the only girl I want, even now. You mean so much to me!"

I sighed and realized he was right. I didn't actually see him kiss her back…and his eyes had been wide open in shock. After that kiss and her declaration, he still wanted me. I smiled sadly up at him and he frowned.

"I don't like that sad smile of yours. I've seen it for way too long over the last couple of years that I've known you. I only want to make you happy, Bella. Will you please forgive me and take me back? I promise I will make this up to you."

I leaned in and hugged him, grateful that he still wanted me. He had become so important to me in these last few months, I wasn't sure what I would do without him.

**January 11, 1997 – 11****th**** Grade – High School**

Come on, Edward…pick up! Pick up the phone…

"There you are! You weren't in school today and I went over to your house but you weren't there. What happened?"

"Edward, please come over. I need to talk to you. Don't let Renee see you though. Come up to my room by the window."

"Is everything okay, Bella? You sound distressed."

"Just come."

I hung up the phone and sat on my bed numbly and waited for him. Time passed quickly and soon, I felt his form sit on the bed next to mine.

"Bella Love, what's wrong? What happened?"

I looked over into his eyes and whispered, "I'm pregnant."

His eyes became huge and I wasn't sure how he would take the news…maybe now that I've ruined his life, he would dump me.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "That's where I was today. My mother took me to get my physical done and the blood work came back saying I was pregnant. My mother flipped. It didn't really cross her mind that we'd be having sex…"

He was quiet, thinking hard about what I'd just said. He turned back to me and asked, "What do you want to do?"

"I'm keeping the baby, Edward. You don't have to be here if you don't want to. I understand. But this is my choice and I told my mother that the baby stays. I'm in for hell, I know, but I don't care. I'll walk around with a big bump at school and swallow my pride, but the baby is mine."

He shook his head and my heart fell.

"No Bella, the baby is ours. We created it out of love. Sure, we're probably stupid for wanting to keep it, but you're right. The baby stays…and I want to be there for you and our baby. You are my life. I wasn't kidding when I said it."

For the first time today, I felt a ray of hope. Could he mean it? He wants to help me? Suddenly, this ill news wasn't so bad. I knew the road would be hard, but Edward would help me. I still had one more year of high school to finish…but I would do it. I wouldn't let anyone stop me from getting my diploma.

"Bella…I love you. You do love me, right?"

"Of course. Always."

"Good. Now, I want to ask you something…"

Before I could comprehend what he was doing, he got off the bed and got down on one knee. He took my hands and gazed lovingly at me, whispering, "Marry me, Bella."

To say I was in shock was not even cutting it. I couldn't believe he wanted to marry me!

"Do you mean it?"

"Of course I do. We were going to marry anyway, it's just a bit sooner than we expected."

I smiled and laughed and replied with a loud, "Yes!"

He got up and laughed, laying me on my bed as he lay down beside me. We discussed our future, our parents, and how angry they would be, how weird it would be in school once everyone knew. We didn't care though…it would be worth it.

"What day should we do it?"

He thought. "I want it to be very soon. I don't want any laws keeping me away from you. If we're married, I'm your legal next of kin. I want to take care of you, always. Plus, I want my baby to have a legitimate father."

I smiled. "Let's get married on the day we met. February 15th."

He frowned. "It seems like I always miss you on Valentine's Day. This would've been our first ever celebration. How about we marry on Valentine's Day instead? I don't intend to miss any more with you."

"Yes! Valentine's Day it is then. I love you."

"I love you too, Bella."

**February 14, 1997 – 11****th**** Grade – Edward and Bella's Wedding**

The wedding went by without a hitch. Bella was breathtakingly beautiful, and knowing she was carrying our baby inside of her made her even more precious in my sight. Our eyes met as she walked toward me and I saw that she had on her happy smile. I hoped I'd never see her sad smile again.

There were people in the crowd who were giving us sad smiles, as I knew they felt bad for us. I didn't care about them though…all I cared was that Bella was happy and that my child would have a future where there was no abuse…and that they had both a mom and dad. It was something Bella and I didn't have.

My mother and her mother were not happy. They cried throughout the whole ceremony. I knew they thought we were making a big mistake, but I told them this was what I wanted…and they finally caved. Putting together a wedding in four weeks was tough, but we didn't want anything fancy…we wanted something for just family and friends.

I ended up getting a part time job to help us out. Like Bella, I was determined not to quit high school. We would make this work. As long as she was by my side, I knew we'd be okay.

The bathroom door came open, and out stepped the most stunning girl I'd ever seen. She was wearing a silky white nightie and I could clearly see that there was nothing underneath it.

"Bella Love, you look absolutely striking. Come here."

She walked toward me and I took her in my arms, laying her down gently on the bed. I hovered over her, carefully, and placed my lips against hers. She moaned instantly and curled her hand through my hair.

She had always felt good beneath me, and tonight was no different. We kissed with passion, with love and with fervor. My mouth left hers as I found her neck and placed soft, warm kisses on her, and slowly went down her body.

I picked up her nightie and kissed her stomach, nuzzling her with my nose. I placed a few more kisses all over her, not sure where the baby would be, so I placed them everywhere. I continued down until I found her beautiful pussy, warm and wet for me.

I heard her mewling and her hips kept coming up toward me, impatient for my tongue to taste her. I laughed softly and said, "Impatient, aren't we, Bella?"

"Edward, you know how much I love your tongue…"

I flicked my tongue out toward her and swirled it around her swollen clit. She writhed and moaned which spurred me to keep going. She tasted so sweet, my own brand of honey. Her fingers curled into my hair and pushed me forward, her voice begging me not to stop.

Her legs started shaking around me, and I knew she was close. I sucked her clit into my mouth and used my tongue to help me lick. She screamed my name and her legs closed around my head as her body started to shake. I felt her erupt and I drank her up greedily. I would never get enough.

I crawled my way back up toward her, giving her belly another kiss. She sat up and quickly took off her nightie, exposing her breasts to me. I took one in my mouth and kneaded the other in my hand.

"Oh Edward…you always know how to make me feel good…"

"Always, Bella. Always and only for you."

I laid her back gently and caressed her face with my hands. Her hair fanned out around her, framing her heart shaped face. I always wondered when it was I fell in love with her. Our lives crossed paths for many years and in some way, she was always a part of my life.

With great love, I entered her, slowly pushing my way through and thrusting my hips in and out of her. Her eyes were open and stared right at me, and I could see nothing but love shining out of her. My heart swelled at the thought of the two of us, together forever.

My thrusts were becoming more frantic, and I knew I was close. I couldn't stop, so I put my fingers on her wet clit and rubbed. Her skin flushed a deeper pink and her mouth dropped open, her breathing becoming labored.

"Are you close, Love?"

"Yes…so close."

I closed my eyes briefly, and wondered just how long I could hold out when her walls clenched around my dick, successfully pulling me under with her. We both said each other's names in unison and I had never felt more connected with her than at that moment.

I lay down beside her and pulled her to me, rubbing her hair and her back. We were both tired after our long day, and my eyes started to close.

"I love you Bella…so much."

"I love you too Edward. I'll always love you."

"Forever."

"Forever."

**February 14, 2010 – Present Day**

"Mom, tell Anthony to give me back my Ipod!"

"She said I could borrow it! I told her I'd give it back when I was done!"

"Yeah, but I wasn't done with it! I'll give it to you when I'm done!"

I sighed as I closed my eyes and tried, in vain to imagine I was off on a remote island with Bella. Rosalie couldn't get here fast enough.

"Guys, leave your mother alone! It's our anniversary, so have some compassion."

Anthony rolled his eyes. "I think thirteen years with someone is plenty enough time. Why do you need to go out?"

"Well, I think it's romantic," replied Elizabeth, with hearts in her eyes. "I can't wait until I'm married and have a boy sweep me off my feet."

I groaned as I pinched my nose. There was no way in hell I would allow any boy near my almost thirteen year old daughter. Hell, I made sure there was no obstruction underneath her second story window. No one was going to climb through there at night. I even wanted to put bars, but Bella said something about it being a fire hazard.

"That won't be for a very long time, missy."

I heard Bella giggle at me as she rolled her eyes. At twenty-nine years old, we were the youngest parents at all the PTA meetings that we attended. I couldn't believe we had a daughter in seventh grade, a son in fourth and now, a little two year old. Little Alexis was just like me…and I couldn't be more proud.

I asked for another…maybe another boy, but Bella nixed that idea. She said her baby making days were over…well, not the making part. I tried not to think of her spread out underneath me as I knew I would have her that way tonight. I didn't want to look like a perv.

"Wipe that smile off your face, pervert."

I opened up my eyes and was greeted by Alice and Rose. "What are you both doing here?"

"Eh…I wanted to spend time with the little rug rats too. When I found out Rose was coming, I came also. Em and Jas are coming later too. They went to go get pizza."

Making friends at college was one of the best things Bella and I ever did. We would do anything for them, and they for us. They were our support system and helped take care of Elizabeth and Anthony when we couldn't. We couldn't have graduated without them.

"Well, thanks guys. We really could use an evening to ourselves. We hardly get a chance anymore." Bella smiled at them gratefully.

"Think nothing of it girl. I just hope that when we celebrate our thirteenth wedding anniversary, Jas will still look at me the way you look at Bella."

I laughed. "Oh, he will. I've seen the way those two guys look at you girls. You both may be newlyweds, but your love will last a lifetime. Like mine and Bella's."

I leaned over and gave my wife a deep kiss. Even after all these years, we still had it.

"Ew! Please mom and dad, no kissing!! You know how much I hate it! It's disgusting!"

Rose snickered. "Oh honey, you're lucky this is all you're seeing…"

Elizabeth made a gagging sound and walked away. Most couples are just starting their forever together…Bella and I were going on thirteen years. We still wanted one another just as badly as that first day.

"Well, we're off. You have our cell numbers in case you need anything. Please don't let Emmett keep the kids up till two in the morning like last time. I know he likes to spoil them…"

"Oh be quiet. It never hurts kids to have a bit of fun when they're parents are gone! I will make sure Alexis is asleep though. She was cranky the next morning when she didn't have enough sleep…"

After some more good-byes and some threats to Anthony and Elizabeth to behave, we were gone.

I had no idea what the future held for the two of us, but like all things, I knew that if we had each other, we would be fine. After all, our story was a story of love…and there was never an end to that.

**Author: I'mwiththevampires08**


	8. As Long As You're MIne

**Countdown to V-Day- Cupids Lil "Ut Oh"**

**Title-** As Long As You're Mine

**Rated-** M

**Authors note**- I wrote this as a companion piece to my Horney Halloween submission, '**Halloween After Hours' **and my Christmas Countdown piece **'I wish It Was Christmas Today'**. You don't have read those first, there's enough background info in this so you won't be confused…but if you want to see how they met or want another lemon… go read it.

**Disclaimer**- I don't own Twilight. But those hunky vamps own my dirty mind. No really, true story.

**Vamp traits-**

**1)** No Sparklethon. My vamps are allowed to be in very limited amounts of sunlight… think Mick St. John of Moonlight.

**2)** _Tru:Blood_ will be a vamp drink. If you don't know what that is- it's bottled synthetic blood that vampires drink instead of human blood. (If they want.)

**3) **Vampires are known to humans.

**4) **Fangs!

**5)** If you haven't realized it before, Vampire Rights is a code for Gay Rights in America.

Oh, and if anybody knows the musical Wicked, be prepared to see quote's from _'The Wizard and I' _and also_ 'As Long As You're Mine'._

* * *

'**As Long As You're Mine'- Wicked**

_**Elphaba-**_

**Kiss me too fiercely,**

**Hold me too tight.**

**I need help believing,**

**You're with me tonight.**

**My wildest dreamings could not foresee,**

**Lying beside you,**

**With you wanting me.**

**And just for this moment,**

**As long as you're mine,**

**I've lost all resistance and crossed some borderline.**

**And if it turns out,**

**It's over too fast,**

**I'll make every last moment last.**

**As long as you're mine…**

_**Fiyero-**_

**Maybe I'm brainless,**

**Maybe I'm wise.**

**But you've got me seeing through different eyes.**

**Somehow I've fallen under you're spell,**

**And somehow I'm feeling,**

**It's "Up" that I fell.**

_**Both-**_

**Every moment,**

**As long as you're mine,**

**I'll wake up my body,**

**And make up for lost time.**

_**Fiyero-**_

**Say there's no future,**

**For us as a pair…**

_**Both-**_

**And though I may know,**

**I don't care.**

**Just for this moment,**

**As long as you're mine,**

**Come be how you want to**

**And see how bright we shine.**

**Borrow the moonlight,**

**Until it is through,**

**And know I'll be here holding you,**

**As long as you're mine.**

* * *

**EPOV-**

A soft tinkling piano played over the loudspeaker of the Tiffany & Company in downtown Philadelphia as I casually strolled down the isles. I was looking for the perfect thing to give my Bella. Valentine's Day was approaching rapidly, and while I know she doesn't want me to buy her anything, I would feel like shit if I didn't. So, here I was, on my lunch break –not that I needed lunch- strolling through Tiffany's shopping for the worlds pickiest person.

We had been dating for what felt like a lifetime, but was actually roughly four months. Bella was absolutely perfect and everything you wanted in a mate. Sweet, funny, smart, and unbelievably fucking sexy, she had it all.

I never thought in all my years of 'life' that I would ever find myself a mate, which is what we call our significant others in the vampire community. When we find the person who holds your heart, we stay with them until we…well…I guess _die_ really isn't the right word to describe when our existence end.

"May I help you sir," a female sales clerk to my left asked politely. I turned towards the tall blonde woman and smiled. At my grin, her heart rate stuttered then set off at a brisk pace. The lust that was exuding out of her pores was slightly bitter in its smell, not at all like when Bella got turned on, which mimicked a beautiful night blooming rose.

God, I couldn't even go a minute without thinking about her, could I?

"No thank you, I'm fine just looking around."

She nodded, her face flaming in color. Instead of the lovely sweeping of color that graced my Bella's cheeks and throat, hers was ruddy and violent. "Just call me if you need help with _anything_, my name is Julie."

I smiled tightly at the obvious come on and continued my browsing. I walked through the necklace section, trying to find something that embodied my small human girlfriend's tastes.

"…_Vampire rights…_"

My head snapped up and my attention was driven away from the silver and diamond encrusted keys in the display case in front of me. My ears picked up a small static sound towards the front of the store. The guard by the front double doors had a small radio he was listening to.

I listened closely.

"_Just in time for Valentine's Day Pennsylvania has passed legislation for Vampires to legally marry in the state. This decision comes after months of debates. Starting today, vampire can marry within their own race, as well as with humans. Many Church groups oppose the position and are protesting all over the city and state. Let's take it live to Erica down at City Hall where a large protest from the Evangelical Church of Philadelphia has gathered, Erica?..."_

Did I really just hear that? Have I actually understood? My kind can finally get married?

I couldn't keep the grin off my face as my mind conjured up images of Bella walking towards me in a lovely white wedding dress. I shouldn't be thinking like this though… I wasn't even sure if Bella wanted to get married, let alone get married to a vile monster like me. Still, I couldn't help my self from wandering over to the sparkly diamond engagement rings. Many of them were gaudy and gauche, not for my Bella at all. I wanted to get her a ring with a sizeable rock, but not a small crystal house on her hand.

The rings were unparalleled in their beauty, and as I approached the middle of the ring display…I had found the perfect one.

It was a perfect compromise between my need to give her the world, and her disdain against garish gifts. It was lovely and unique, just like her. I could practically imagine it on her dainty hand.

A salesman with an impeccably cut suit and too much cologne approached me. Taking in my rapt attention on the case of rings, and my Armani three piece, his demeanor went from bored to interested, he could see he had a potential sale on his hands. "Good afternoon sir, my name is Blake. Would you like to see anything from the display case?"

I nodded and pointed to the ring. "That one, please."

Blake nodded with a small grin, smelling a sale. He pulled the ring out of the display and set the white ring holder on the glass table top. The perfectly cut diamond sparkled under the bright lighting of the store. My super human eyes picked up the spectrum of light in each stone.

"This is the Tiffany Legacy diamond engagement ring. It's a 2 carat cushion cut diamond, surrounded by bead-set ¼ carat diamonds, on a platinum band. It has a clarity of VS61, color grade F to G. It's designed to model the glamour of the Edwardian period."

I nodded as he spoke, listening to the information. This was great quality piece. He handed me the small ring. The ring was lighter than air and beautifully crafted.

He continued and gestured at the other rings in the display case. "This ring here is a size six. But we offer sizes five through nine, including half sizes. If you decide to purchase a ring, you will also need to know her hand size so we can fit the diamond to it."

On instinct I spoke. "Her ring size is six and a half and her hands are roughly three inches across the palm and seven inches to the tip of her middle finger. Her small hands are small, but her fingers are long and thin. Does that help at all?"

Blake gaped at me before controlling his expression. "Uh…y-yes. That is plenty of information. Usually the men who come in here have no clue as to the size."

I smiled at his reaction. Being a vampire made my memory near flawless, that, and anything that had to do with my Bella I knew everything about…Including the stack of dirty romance novels she hides from me in her closet.

Silly girl, as if I wouldn't find them.

"How soon would you be able to have the ring ready?"

His joy escalated as he saw his paycheck rise. I could smell the sickeningly sweet ting of cotton candy that went along with his happiness. "I can have it to you in two weeks, sir."

I frowned. It was already February 5th, I wasn't sure if I was going to propose to her, but, even if just gave it to her as a Valentine's Day gift and passed it off as a plain old ring- it belonged on her finger. And it belonged there as soon as possible.

If she said no and left that day, I would give it to her as a reminder of me. I wanted a part of myself with her always, whether it was as her fiancé- and later husband, or as an old _experimentation_ with vampires…

Clearing my throat, unessecarliy, I leaned into the guy. I turned my head slightly and discreetly beckoned him to lean in. "Now, I think you and I both know that you can have to ring here sooner than that."

He shook his head slightly. "Sir, I'm sure I don't know what you mean…"

I didn't want to do this, but sometimes desperate times called for desperate measures. Mind control, or glamouring as the humans called it, is a trait that very powerful vampires possess. It takes years to accurately control it and to safely execute it. If a newborn tried to glamour a humen, they might end up causing permanent brain damage. I was lucky my maker, Carlisle, taught me how to master it.

I stared deeply into his eyes and gently started to mold his mind. "You are going to get me the ring within a week. Aren't you?"

With a blank stare he answered almost robotically. "Yes, sir, or course sir."

I couldn't explain why I said the following words. All I remember was thinking how perfect this ring would look on my love's hand.

"I'll take it."

Now how the hell was I going to ask her?

**BPOV-**

"Next!"

I jumped and stepped up to the counter. "Yeah, I'll take a pulled pork sandwich and an Italian hoagie. Please."

"That'll be $10.87."

I handed the cashier the money and went to stand to wait for my order. It was the lunch rush in Reading Terminal Market and the marketplace was absolutely packed. It was difficult to even move around, let alone get and eat a sandwich. Never the less, I got my food and made my way over to Alice, who was waiting by a flower stand. Even though she was a short person, she was hard to miss. Dressed head to toe in a bright green wrap dress and royal blue pea coat, she was impossible to miss.

"Here." I handed her her Italian hoagie. She thanked me and stuffed it into her oversized purse, her arms too full of fresh cut tulips to carry the sandwich.

"Thanks. You wanna go to Love Park to eat? I think it's too crowded in here to find a table," she asked as we pushed our way towards the door.

I nodded and we headed out onto the crowded street. We chatted about our work -I was a romance editor and Alice my assistant- what meetings I had left today and how many manuscripts I had to go through. As we approached City Hall, a dull roaring could be heard.

I looked at Alice confused "Do you hear that?"

She nodded with an equally perplexed look on her face. We quickened our pace as we approached, growing more and more curious abut the noise.

Gathered in a huge crowd around the base of City Hall, there were protesters of some sort. They held signs and shouted up at the large old building, it was absolute chaos.

"Do you know what happened," I asked Alice.

She shook her head. 'Nope, I've been out and about the office all day. I haven't been able to check the news online or anything."

She was right; we've been so busy today that I haven't had the time to check either. "I'll go ask, be right back."

I approached a protester closest to me, which happened to be a very angry, very tall, man holding a sign that said _'God Hates Fangs!'_

_Oh no…_

My stomach dropped as I gazed upon the other signs that were gathered. All of them had some sort of hateful or derogatory comment towards Vampires.

"Uh...excuse me?" The man turned towards me. "What's going on?"

His jaw clenched and his eyes grew stormy. "The state decided that these blood sucking _abominations_ can now get married to their human whores. America is going to shit if they think we'll allow scum in our churches." He turned back towards the crowd. "Fuck the Vampires!"

A cheer arose from the crowd, blocking out all the noise from the city around us.

I was shocked. How could these people be so hateful? Vampires weren't any different than normal people, sure their diets were a bit different than a human, but they weren't monsters…

At least, the vampires I had met weren't. Jasper, Alice's boyfriend, was nice enough. Not very talkative, but with a girlfriend like Alice, he couldn't get a word in edgewise anyway.

Then there was Edward.

There was so much I could say about my boyfriend. How caring he was, how smart and funny he was, how unbelievably attractive he was…but anything I could say would not do his justice. Not even a little. He truly was the holy grail of men. I couldn't get over how sweet and loving he was towards me.

Being too shocked to say anything back to the man, I turned and walked back to Alice. Her face had a look caught between sadness and anger. Without saying a word, we turned and walked back the way we came in silence.

**Time Jump –Three days**

Edward had been acting extremely strange. He hadn't been his usual touchy feely self. Normally he would proposition me for sex at least a dozen times a day…but he hadn't at all the past three days. He's been around the apartment less and less and when he was, it was only to grab some paper work and a Tru:Blood before heading back out the door.

_Had I done something, or was it something I said?_

"Bella! Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella!"

_Oh sweet baby Jesus…it is way too early for this shit._

Alice burst into my office and squealed like a little girl while she waved her hand directly in my face. Due to lack of coffee, it took me a while to focus in on what she was trying to show me.

It was a ring.

And not just any ring…it was a large sparkling perfect diamond. An engagement ring.

"Jasper proposed last night! He said he had the ring for a while, but once they announced that Vampires could legally marry, he knew it was the perfect time to pop the question! Oh Bella, I'm _so_ happy. You have to be my maid of honor. Though I'll probably have a green color scheme, and I know how you don't like that color, but if I get it in a darker color it'll look…"

I tuned her out, consumed by my own thoughts. _Jasper proposed… He wanted to spend the rest of eternity with her… Alice is getting married…_

_Did Edward not want to spend his life with me? Did he not love me as much as I thought he did? Or as much as I love him? _

We hadn't really discussed the Vampires being able to marry. We had briefly talked about it, more of a _'News of the day' _conversation, than the _'I'm ready to spend my life with you and now we legally_ _can_' sort of way. He didn't once talk about us getting married, or expressing his excitement over the new law. Did that mean he didn't want to get hitched? Or did that mean he didn't want to get married to me?

Sure, he said he loved me, but did he mean it? Was he only using me for a warm body and some fresh blood? Maybe he was only with me until he found someone better, like some vampire girl.

Maybe that's where he's been the past three days, with some pretty, skinny bitch. I had never been the 'thin girl', not to say I was fat, but I had never dipped below a size six. It was understandable that he would want someone who would look just as amazing as he did.

I had heard stories of humans who fell in love with vampires and the vampires only using them as walking, talking, vending machines. They were heart broken when the vampire finally decided to leave them.

The thought alone made an ache form in my chest, as if my heart was missing.

Edward, drawn out of his office by Alice's screaming, stood in my doorway looking every bit as handsome as a male model in his grey suit. "Congratulations Alice. Jasper is a lucky man."

Alice wheeled around. "I know, isn't he? I have you to thank for that. If you hadn't introduced us…" She trailed off and turned back to me. "I have to go make some calls, but we'll talk more at lunch okay?"

I felt Edward's gaze burn into me, I refused to look. "Yeah Alice, that sounds great."

She pranced out of the room just a quickly as she came in.

Edward remained in the doorway. I couldn't look at him. I was almost certain he wasn't with for my sparkling personality or my body…If he _was_ just using me as his…fangbanger, then I wanted him to stop stringing me along. Alright, that's a lie. Sadly, when it comes to Edward Cullen, I'll take what I can get. So much for woman's lib.

His voice broke the silence. "Are you alright Bella?"

Picking up a transcript on my desk, I buried my gaze in it. "Fine. Busy."

I could feel his presence there for at least five more minutes.

But I still refused to look at him.

*\/*\/*\/*\/*\/*

Days passed.

The ache in my chest grew and grew.

Still no conversations about our future.

Still no ring.

Still no sex... I think that one hurt the most. My girly bits were on strike since I refused to let them play with Edward. Which was fine with me, they were moody bitches anyway.

Edward was shutting me out emotionally and I getting more and more anxious. Around our apartment, there were no more casual touches or gentle caresses. Our rides into work were always filled with tense silences and unanswered questions. It was strange being so close to someone and yet so far away.

Valentine's Day was tomorrow and I anticipated the world's most awkward day.

In the history of awkward days.

Ever.

"So what are you and Edward doing for Valentine's Day?"

I turned and looked at my closest friend. She had the glow of a woman in love.

"Uh…nothing I guess. Maybe stay at home and watch some sappy romantic comedies."

She gaped at me. "What?"

I felt my cheeks heat up. It did sound pretty lame. "Yeah…Edward hasn't mentioned any plans…so…I guess were just staying at home."

Alice shook her head her gently curled short locks –a style she tries every month or so- bounced around her head. "No, I'm taking you shopping. C'mon." She grabbed my hand and started towards the door.

"Alice! I can't just leave work."

She tugged harder. "Yes, you can and besides you have no meetings today, I should know."

I rolled my eyes, there's no use to argue with her logic. I wasn't going to win anyway. "Fine. Let me grab me coat."

She nodded, her bright red lips parting into a full grin. "I'll meet you in the lobby."

I grabbed the plain black trench and made my way to the elevators. It opened as soon as I reached it, a few people stepping out.

Including Edward. He stopped when he saw me. "Going somewhere?"

I nodded stiffly. "Yeah, ah…Alice wanted to get me something for Valentine's Day."

A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Right, well I'll see you later then."

"Yeah…later."

Edward leaned forward and looked like he wanted to kiss me…I shut my eyes and anticipated his lips on my, only to feel…

Nothing.

My eyes popped open and watched as he walked down the hall towards his office…and away from me. My heart tore open as I got into the elevator. I was so grateful that I was alone in it. I wouldn't have wanted anyone to see the tears that fell around floor 60.

**EPOV-**

If vampires could get drunk, I would be shit faced. Bella was driving me absolutely crazy with her silence towards me, and I honestly have no idea how much longer I could take it. Was she breaking up with me? Did she not love me anymore?

I could only think of one person to call. Dialing quickly, I called my best friend.

"Hello," came a calming southern drawl on the other line.

"Jasper, I fucked up royally. Can you help me out?"

He paused. "You fucked up? How? What did you do?"

I sighed and ran my hand down my face, trying to alleviate the stress that was building. "I don't know. One day everything is fine between Bella and I, and the next she won't talk to me, won't touch me, is either extremely depressed or angry. Not that I'm helping the situation; I'm out all the time either with work or planning how I'm going to propose to her...I don't know what to do."

Jazz paused. "You're going to propose?"

"Yeah, I just have to pick it up at Tiffany's. Is this a sign that I shouldn't ask her to marry me?"

"I wouldn't take it as one. Maybe you're just going through a rough patch. Do you know when this all started?"

I thought back. "Five days ago, after Alice told her you proposed."

_Oh…shit…_

I leaned my head back against my chair "Fuckkkk."

Jazz's deep bass laugh came through the ear piece. "Good, you figured it out. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

"Well, I already bought the ring for her…should I give it to her tomorrow?" I didn't want to be a cliché when I gave it to her, but the sooner I gave her the ring the better.

"YES. No questions, you need to fix this shit ASAP. I mean…you do _want_ to fix this right, you want to marry her?"

I smiled at the thought of myself marrying Bella. She was an absolute angel and being able to spend eternity with her would be the most wonderful gift I have ever received. "Of course I do. I couldn't imagine my life without her."

"Alright. So, here's what you do…"

I listened intently to Jasper's instructions. He gave me enough material to work with that I wouldn't be left scrambling to find what I needed to get Bella. This was going to be perfect…I hope.

**BPOV-**

**Next Day**

I slowly opened my eyes as I laid in bed, not wanting to look over and see that Edward wasn't there next to me. Instead I reached my arm to the left of me. Nothing. I tried to swallow the disappointment I felt; it wasn't as if I had expecting him to put up with me much longer. I was being a royal bitch to him and he was just doing what any sane person would.

The smell of hot food –good food- wafted into the bedroom and made my hungry stomach rumbled. I got out bed, pulled on my robe, and made my way to the kitchen.

Oh my God.

There was Edward standing in front of the stove cooking pancakes for me. At least, I assume they were for me, unless he has taken up an interest in human food. He turned around and looked at me over his shoulder, giving me his heart breaking crooked smile.

"Hey." His voice almost melted me. "I was hoping I could finish this before you woke up…you know, breakfast in bed and all."

I tried to smile, but it was weighed down by my haywire emotions. Anger- at him for at being so sweet and generous even though he was probably was using me and not going to marry me. Guilt- I hadn't gotten him anything other than some crappy card and he was being sweet and generous by making me breakfast. Joy- for him being so sweet and generous and making me breakfast in bed.

_Damn him for being so sweet and generous_.

I sat down at the counter of his state of the art kitchen. He brought the tray over and sat it in front of me, on it was three perfectly shaped blueberry heart shaped pancakes, half a grapefruit, and a single red rose.

"Wow Edward, this looks great," I just managed to choke out. My throat had tightened and my eyes watered as I looked at the lovely breakfast.

Edward smiled and kissed my forehead lightly as he set down a cup of steaming hot coffee in front of me. I reveled at the sensation of his lips on my skin…and the fact that he knows exactly how I take my coffee. "I'm glad you think so. You enjoy it, I'll be back in a few hours."

I looked up at him alarmed, now noticing that he was fully dressed in jeans and a grey sweater. "Where are you going?"

Edward's face dropped, as if he hadn't expected my question. "I…uh…I have to go pick up some…uh… stuff. At the store. Yeah, some stuff at the store," he stammered out.

I was immediately on edge. Edward _never_ stammers. It was then I realized his intention. He didn't have to get anything; he just wanted to get away from me. I had to work to keep my face neutral. I didn't want him to see how much he affected me.

So instead, I nodded. "Right. Sure, I'll see you…later then."

He smiled, but it looked like it took a lot of effort on his part. "Yeah."

An hour later I was still sitting at the table, staring at my plate of now cold food, tear tracks dried on my eyes. I couldn't eat. I was too upset too eat.

And besides, maybe not eating will do me some good.

At that thought I stood up from the table and brought the tray over to the sink, my heart heavy. I was going to dump it down the drain, but I couldn't bring myself to ruin his perfectly prepared hearts. Instead I just grabbed the rose, which was stripped of its thorn, off the plate and returned to the bedroom.

On a whim, I took out the La Perla bags from yesterday. I pulled out the bright red lacy baby doll that Alice instead I get. I stripped and put it on; the lace was surprisingly soft as it slid against my skin- a nice change from the harsh feeling of other brands.

_Yeah well, that's what you get when you shell out 500 fucking dollars!!_

I felt ridiculous in my empty bedroom wearing lingerie, but I kept it on. I didn't expect much from wearing it. Even if Edward just gave me a pity fuck- it would be better than nothing.

I cuddled Edward's pillow –the one he doesn't actually need to sleep- and inhaled his musky, dark smell. It comforted me to hold on to some part of him. I don't remember when I fell asleep, to lost in my thoughts to care.

**EPOV-**

I scoured the city all day, looking for the finishing touches on my Valentine's Day plan. I got her dozens of her favorite flowers –pink peonies, red roses, and magenta tulips-, enough tea lights to set a high rise ablazed, he faveorite foods, wines, and desserts, and last, but not least, the ring from Tiffany's.

It was quarter after six by the time I arrived home. The apartment and still, I could barely make out the sound of Bella's breathing in the bedroom. I dropped off the food and wine in the kitchen, wincing when I noticed the food I had made her had gone untouched.

Setting the bags down on the dining room, I made my way to the bedroom. Peeking in, I saw Bella hugging my pillow close to her prone body, the comforter pulled up to her chin. She would have looked peaceful and clam if it wasn't for the tear tracks staining her cheeks. Resisting the urge the walk over and wrap my arms around her, I turned and walked from the room.

It took me no more than twenty minutes to set up our living room. I bought enough roses that I could scatter the petals around the floor and furniture, while still having enough to put them in vases with the other flowers. On every hard surface of our spacious living room, I lit the tea lights. They created a romantic mood that I hoped would entice Bella to talk to me.

I set the dining room table, also adorned in lights and flowers. I set the chilled wine in the bucket, laid out her food, and stepped back to appraise my handy work. A deep worry washed over me…would this is the last time I would see my beautiful Bella? If she said no to me…could I let her walk out the door and out of my life? I don't think I had the strength to stay away from her.

If it came down to it, I would let her keep the apartment. She didn't have anywhere else to live, while I had houses on almost every continent. I would discreetly pay for her costs of living, she wasn't nearly as wealthy as I am and I wanted her to be living as comfortable as possible…

_Stop it Cullen…keep positive. You haven't asked her yet, she might say yes…_

I doubted she would though. If the last few days were any indication- she was going to run out of the apartment as soon as she saw-

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!_

_What the hell?!_

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!_

I covered my ears against the harsh noise. My head cleared briefly and I quickly realized it was the fire alarm. All the heat and smoke from the candles must have triggered them.

"Edward?"

My head snapped up in the direction of the hallway to see Bella. She had her hands over her ears against the noise, her lovely face set into an expression of deep confusion.

_Oh fuck…_

Bella's lush curves were wrapped up in the most sinful of outfits. She was the most breathtaking sight I had ever seen in my hundred plus years.

Before I knew what I was doing, I rushed up to her and scooped her up into my arms. She fit perfectly against my chest- she belonged there. Her arms secured themselves around my neck, keeping her steady against me. I looked deeply into her brown eyes, seeing every emotion I had hoped to see.

Love.

Happiness.

All the noise from the alarm fading away as I lean in and captured her full lips. They tasted so temptingly sweet; a combination of vanilla, strawberries, and a taste that was purely Bella. I parted her lips with my tongue, desperately seeking more of that intoxicating flavor. Our tongues clashed, writhing against each other. I would never tire of kissing Bella, no matter how many times I do so.

She broke our kiss, gasping for air. Unable to stop lavishing attention on her, I ran my lips down her neck, peppering kisses along the silky smooth skin.

"You've got to stop," she groaned as I sucked on a particularly tender spot. I nipped at it playfully, making sure not to break the skin. She threw her head back and let out a moan.

"And why is that?"

She gasped for air before she answered. "I thought I was strong enough…but I can't take you doing this before you leave me. I shouldn't have even put this ridiculous outfit on anyway."

_Wait what?_

I pulled back. "What do you mean leave you?"

She looked away. "I…I guess I always knew that this wouldn't last…It's just us fucking and you leaving would be the final nail in the coffin-"

Placing her back on the floor, I placed my hand over her mouth, too confused to let her go on. "Isabella, what are you talking about? I'm not leaving you- I could never leave you!"

Her eyes widened. "You're not?"

I shook my head and breathed out a laugh. "No, Bella, never. If you don't know I love you by now…then I've failed you more than I can say. I love you Isabella Swan and I will never stop loving you."

Bella sprang up and captured my lips once more. I was losing myself in the feeling of her pillow soft lips when, as if on cue, the overhead sprinklers started up. I released her lips and leaned my forehead against hers, laughing as the water trickled down around us. Bella laughed gleefully pecked my lips once more.

I pulled away. "I'll go turn this off. Go wait in the bedroom for me."

"Yes sir." _Jesus Christ._ Hearing her say sir had to have been the sexiest thing I have ever heard.

I quickly dismantled the sprinklers and made my way to the bedroom, desperate to be inside my Bella. Pushing open the door, I stopped dead in my tracks. There was Bella, sprawled across our king sized bed, looking every bit as beautiful as I knew her to be. Her dark hair fanned across the pillows and the lace baby doll fell open on the one side, revealing inch after inch of sensuous skin. I couldn't get over to her fast enough, every inch felt like a mile.

Before I dropped onto the bed, I shed all the layer of clothes I had on, only leaving the black boxers. Bella's lustful gaze swept across my skin and I could practically taste the lust that she was exuding. I crawled up her prone body slowly, my movements slow and lithe. If she was confused on how much I truly loved her- then I would make sure she knew by the end of the night.

I kissed my way up her neck and towards her ear, Her small human body, radiated heat into my own, warming me to my core. I began to whisper sweet nothings into her ear.

At least I was…until she pushed me off.

"Edward," she asked timidly as her hand languidly stroked my bare skin. "I have a feeling that tonight is going to be one of _those_ nights- not that I mind! I love when we have _those_ nights… but I was thinking we could not have one of _those_ nights-"

I placed my hand over her mouth, my head spinning around her words. "Bella- you're rambling. What are you trying to say?"

She took a deep breath to steel herself and looked into my eyes. "Although I love making love to you…I need help believing you're with me tonight. I want you to fuck me. Hard."

My cock sprung to life at hearing her sweet lips virtually wrap themselves around that word. I attacked her lips with my own, desperate to release the pent up sexually tension from this past week. Our tongues tangled with one another and her sweet taste invaded my senses, blocking everything else from my mind. Her hands tangled into my unruly bronze locks and pulled gently, eliciting groans from deep in my throat She broke away from me, gasping for much needed air. Unable to stop myself, I kisses down the smooth column of her throat, placing gentle nips at the fangs marks that graced her neck. I felt as though they were my mark on her- proclaiming to the rest of the male populace that she was _my_ woman. They only other way to portray that would be to mount her in front of any man that looks at her- and while my Bella is certainly adventurous…I don't think she's into public sex.

My hands tugged her baby doll over her head –careful not to shred it, as I'm willing to bet It will definitely be making a repeat appearance. I plucked at her taunt nipples, bringing moans of my name as will as unintelligible words pouring from her open mouth. She writhed under my wandering hands and teasing fingers, her pleasure bringing out primal urges from deep within me.

Her hands skimmed over my abs and she pulled my boxers down as far as they would go. "Off."

I followed willingly with her demand, my erection springing free. Her hands wrapped themselves around my dick, rubbing up and down. "Jesus Bella."

Her lips curved into a smirk, delighted by my reaction to her. She removed her hand and pushed me onto my back, straddling my hips. Bella leaned in and kissed me as she lined me up at her dripping core. I thrust my hips up and sheathed myself into her fiery depths.

Her pussy wrapped around me like a vice, holding me deep within her. Bella threw her head back, her long hair tickling my thighs, and let out a long groan. She started to bounce on top on me, her luscious breasts bouncing with her movements. My hips snapped up to meet hers, unable to help myself. I grasped her hips and helped her move at a faster pace, her mouth opened in a silent scream.

"You like that Bella?" She nodded, unable to speak. I thrust into her harder. "Answer me."

"Yes, God yes."

I flipped us so I was on top of her, looking deeply into her unfocused eyes. Lifting one of her legs, I pulled it up around my shoulder. I needed to get a deep inside her as possible. My hips pistoned in and out of her at a bruising pace. It had been far too long since Bella and I had really fucked.

"Edward! Harder, fucking harder!"

I pounded mercilessly into her pussy, pushing her off the edge of pleasure. Her orgasm swept over her, my cock drenched in her juices. Bella's nails raked down my back and her hips rocked against my own. Her neck was bared to me, tempting me in a million different ways. My fangs clicked out. I needed to bite her soon or I would go insane.

Bella noticed, eyeing my mouth with renewed lust. "Bite me…Edward, fucking bite me."

_With pleasure…_

I sunk my teeth into her buttery soft flesh, tearing into the ripe vein beneath the surface. Her sweet blood flowed into my waiting mouth. I drank greedily, taking long pulls from the wound. My cock continued to pound with vigor, not at all hindered by my preoccupation with her neck.

Bella tightened and released once more, clinging to me as another orgasm tore through her. My cock started to swell within her, her orgasm drawing mine to the surface. I tore my fangs away from her neck and moaned her name as I released into her in spurts.

We collapsed into an exhausted heap- her more than me- on top of the bed. I pulled the blanket up around us, making sure to tuck her in close to my side. Bella sighed in contentment and snuggled against me, her hair lightly fanning over my chest. The joy that swelled in my chest at the intimacy of this moment. I kissed her head lightly, unable to keep myself from loving her.

"Edward," she asked after a long while. Her bright brown eyes bored into mine.

I smiled down at her. "Yes love?"

She propped herself up. "What was all that in the living room about?"

_Shit._ I tried to play it off. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you start with that. You know exactly what I'm talking about. The candles, the flowers…that's way too much for Valentine's Day. What was all that for?"

Well…this wasn't the way I wanted to do this but…

I got off the bed and found my jeans, reaching inside the pocket for the small light blue and white box. Bella leaned over the bed, watching my movements with curiosity and shock. I knelt beside her.

Butt naked.

In the middle of the night."

Yeah, most definitely not how I imagined it.

"Isabella Marie Swan, I have loved you since the first moment I saw you. And I promise to love you until the last….Will you marry me?"

**Author: Vampgirl18**


	9. A Collision Of Crushes

**  
Title: A Collision of Crushes**, **I sincerely hope you enjoy it.**

Thanks to my lovely friends Leiah, Bri and Andrea (my colleague and friend who I've corrupted with my wordporn) for doing the preview, beta deal on this here one-shot I almost forgot I was supposed to write. Thankfully, I have the best previewers/beta's ever and they deal with my wordiness and last minute requests. LOVELOVE you all.

This is my contribution to the Valentine's Day Count Down

* * *

"Hi, Edward," the soft, sweet, sexy voice of the hottest teacher in the entire school says very close to my ear.

I'm heavily engaged in an article about another flu epidemic and I jump at the sound of her voice, spilling my coffee in my lap and onto my newspaper.

"Dammit," I mutter, trying to contain the mess to an isolated area. At least my pants are black.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," she says in that breathy way that makes all the boys in her English classes cover their laps with their binders. She grabs tissues from the table beside me before I can even process what she's doing and begins blotting at my paper and my thigh, where the spilled coffee resides.

I can't breathe; I think I'm going to have an asthma-slash-panic attack because I can smell her and she is touching me at the same time. Usually I hold my breath when she puts her hand on my shoulder or something so I don't inhale all gasp-like as I try to suck in her fragrance and keep it with me all day long on the back of my tongue. I'm going to hyperventilate.

Her long, thick, brown hair is hanging down and sweeping over the back of my hand and my forearm. I can smell the lotion she wears on her soft, smooth, highly touchable skin. She hates perfume and she only ever wears lightly scented lotion. I know this because she's had a conversation at lunch with some of the other female staff about how much perfume and cologne the horny teenagers wear.

"It's okay," I say quietly, trying not to take deep breaths as I realize how close her face is to mine.

"Cullen, you are such a klutz. It's a wonder you haven't burnt the science lab down," McCarty snorts from across the room. "Nice skirt, Swan," he throws in, because he's a jock and a jerk.

I thought the high school hierarchy would end once I was the one in front of the classroom rather than the one sitting in the too small desks. Apparently I'm wrong, because Emmett McCarty is still making my life hell. He seems to derive an unhealthy amount of pleasure from making me feel like a nerdy loser. Which I suppose I am.

"One more time, Emmett, and I'm filing a grievance for sexual harassment," Bella spits back at him.

"You know you like the attention, baby," Emmett says.

"About as much as you'd like my foot up your ass." Bella stands up and puts one hand on her curvy hip and cocks her head to the side, like she's challenging him to a fight.

In a way she is, and she'll win, because she always does. This is because Emmett is not as smart as he pretends to be and Bella is gorgeously intelligent. She beats him in a word showdown every time. The entire staff room clenches in anticipation as they wait for the battle of wits to begin. Or wit, because Bella is the only one of the two who has any.

Emmett is about to quip back when the principal walks into the staff room and all inappropriate banter ceases.

"Bella, I need to see you for a moment before you head to class," Principal Newton says to her, smiling goonishly. I hate him.

"Of course, Mike, let me just grab my things," Bella replies, glancing down at me and mouthing sorry before biting down on her full, pink, glossed bottom lip.

I move the paper over in my lap and look away immediately, mumbling something incoherent as I try to hide the problem every other guy in the room, as well as all the male students have, when she does this. I find that once she has left the room, I am able to actually breathe again. I don't have to deal with McCarty for much longer, because he has a first period class and I don't. The majority of the teachers shuffle out of the staff room with papers and binders and coffees in hand, preparing to face another day of teenage hormones and attitude.

Once everyone else is gone, I review my lessons for the day and then leave the staff room, reeking of coffee and suffering from a mild discomfort in my pants courtesy of Bella's lip biting.

I spend the rest of the day teaching senior students about cellular biology before we move onto fetal pigs, which we will begin dissecting in three weeks, the day before the Valentine's dance. The only reason I care about the Valentine's Day dance is because Bella is organizing it and it's distracting my students, rendering them unproductive.

After the final student bolts from my classroom, I sit at my desk and mark assignments, sipping on my sixth coffee of the day. I am jittery and nearly drunk on caffeine. I'm so engrossed in my work that I don't even hear the door open until the faint clearing of a throat pulls me from my reading. I shove my glasses up my nose and look up to see none other than Bella standing before me. I swallow thickly as she licks her bottom lip unconsciously and smiles softly at me.

"Sorry, I didn't want to startle you or interrupt," she offers and peeks up at me, one corner of her mouth rising slightly higher than the other.

I wave absently, because I'm not sure I can speak yet. Bella is in my classroom; Bella has never once set foot in my classroom before. She's only been at Forks District High School for one full term.

"Is now not a good time?" she asks uncertainly because I have yet to respond to her.

"Now is fine, now is good." I nod quickly.

"Oh, okay. How was your day?" she asks and runs her finger along a gouge in the desk.

"Good, well okay, the kids are driving me nuts with all the talk about the Valentine's Day dance," I say honestly. It's the most I've ever said to Bella in the nearly six months that we've worked together.

"Oh," Bella replies and looks down, furrowing her brow slightly. "I thought . . . oh."

Bella is chewing on her lip nervously now and scratching at the gouge in the desk like it holds the answer to all of life's little mysteries. She seems uncomfortable and it's not something I'm used to seeing from her; she's always so confident and poised, and just generally gorgeous. Clearly this is not the response she is looking for from me and I can't figure out, in my social ineptitude, what I've said in my previous statement that would make her feel this way.

"How is that going by the way?" I ask, floundering to bring her back from the edge of mild anxiety that is so familiar to me when I'm around her. My palms are already sweaty.

"How is what going?" She looks up at me, appearing slightly confused. Her neck and the sliver of her collarbone, which are visible through the modest blouse she is wearing, is blotchy and red.

"Organizing the dance; it must be a lot of work," I respond, reaching for my coffee cup and taking a sip because my mouth is terribly dry.

"It's going well," she says quickly and then grimaces. "Well, it's going okay. Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley are supposed to be helping out, and Jessica was nice enough to have her art classes make posters, but there's so much more work involved that I didn't know about and every time I ask them to meet or do something, they tell me they're too busy." She looks down again, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be complaining to you."

"They're probably just jealous," I say before I can think better of the comment.

Lauren and Jessica are notoriously bitchy to every new, young female staff member we've ever had here. Bella has reaped the benefits of this ten fold because she is drop dead gorgeous and, from what I can tell, is completely unaware of this fact, which just serves to make her even more beautiful than she already is.

"What do they have to be jealous of, my first year teaching salary?" She snorts. It's a cute, delicate little sound and she covers her mouth while her eyes widen in horror at the noise she's made.

"Never mind," I say, waving my hand again to dismiss the comment because I can't explain it to her without sounding like I'm sexually harassing her.

"I should probably leave you alone, you must have work to do," she says as she rubs at the gouge on my desk, and then slips a lock of hair behind her ear.

Her eyes flicker to my face and away, like she has something to say but doesn't know how to say it. She takes a step away from my desk, her hand sliding close to the edge and I reach out to stop her, because I don't want her to go and she's obviously come here to ask me something. I know I must have said something to make her reconsider and I curse my inability to socialize like a normal person.

"Wait," I say as my fingers slide over hers and across the back of her hand.

She freezes and her eyes go wide, so I pull my hand back immediately because as soon as I touch her skin, I feel like one of the hormone riddled students in my class and I want to sit next to her in a desk and pass notes back and forth and try and hold her pinkie, or touch her arm furtively while I pretend to listen to the lesson being presented.

"Did you want help?" I ask.

"Help?"

"Yes, organizing the dance. I've never done it before, organize a dance, but I've organized other events so I may be of some assistance," I say, licking my lips as I try to swallow, but my mouth is dry again and the sound is audible. I take another sip of coffee, hoping I don't look as nervous as I feel. I realize that if she accepts my offer, I'll get to spend an inordinate amount of time with her for the next few weeks. Until now, there hasn't been a way for me to accomplish this. We work in different departments and I'm socially deficient, which is a huge part of the problem.

It's moments like these that I wish I could be a lot more confident and poised around her. Or I could say things that would get a rise out of her like Emmett can. Well not the type of rise he got out of her today, but at least he can speak to her without falling apart. Sadly this is not the case and I struggle on a daily basis to find a reason to speak to her, and until now haven't come up with one. It took me three months just to say hi to her at the coffee maker, immediately following which I spilled my coffee all over the table.

"You would do that?" Bella asks. "You don't have to, I wasn't trying to make you feel like you needed to do that. I shouldn't have complained . . ."

"Don't worry, I won't tell Jessica and Lauren what you said about their work ethic." I wink at her conspiratorially.

Bella's mouth drops open slightly and she stares at me while her face goes an unbelievable shade of red. "I-I-I didn't mean . . ." she stammers.

"I'm sorry, that was a joke," I say quickly, flustered by my inability to read the situation, I rake my hand through my hair and Bella watches the movement before looking back down at the desk.

"Oh. I just . . . I don't want to make enemies. I'm new and a rookie and most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing. Sometimes it feels like I'm in high school all over again, back at the bottom of the totem pole."

I nod as she touches the model of the brain and the left hemisphere falls out and clatters to the floor. She bends down to pick it up, mumbling about how sorry she is and how she's such a flake.

"I should probably go. You must have things to do and I'm monopolizing your time," she mumbles.

"It's nothing," I say and try to find something to talk about to keep her here, but I'm drawing a complete blank and I can't even begin to figure out what constitutes small talk.

"I'll see you later, Edward," Bella says, ignoring my comment and backing away from the desk toward the door.

"Okay," I answer lamely and watch her curvy hips as she pushes the door open and leaves me sitting at my desk wishing I could go home and take care of the situation that has just arisen in my pants.

~*~

Over the next couple of days, I don't see much of Bella. She doesn't eat lunch in the staff room as she usually does, and the only time I catch a glimpse of her is when she switches classes in the afternoon to teach her one remedial class. She gives me a dazzling, yet shy smile and then slips into her classroom, ducking her head as she blushes. I have no idea what that's about, but I really want talk to her about the dance because I have a feeling that she doesn't think I'm serious about helping.

The next day I decide I'm going to stop into her class when I don't see her in the staff room first thing in the morning. I even suck on a breath mint, because I've had three cups of coffee and my mouth tastes horrible, plus the mint will helpfully stop my mouth from going dry. I'm about to knock on her door when I realize she's reading a passage out of the book. I open the back door of the classroom and slip inside unnoticed because the entire class is held in rapture by the cadence of her voice as she recites a poem I have heard but cannot place.

Her eyes close briefly as the lines fall from her mouth because she knows them by heart. They flutter open as she whispers the last lines slowly, with a reverence for the words she repeats. Every set of eyes gaze in on her, and not the page as her cheeks flush pink and she touches her throat. Her eyes flicker to me at the back of the room, and I'm fairly certain that I'm smiling like an idiot.

"Mr. Cullen," she says in that same breathy voice and I know that I'm going to need to lower my paper in front of my pants if she keeps speaking in that same tone. I watch as every boy, except for the one who is gay, shifts uncomfortably and then glares at me for interrupting. All of the girls in the class whip around to look at me and I know that I'm flushing just as much as Bella is. I nervously adjust my glasses and try to compose myself.

"So sorry to interrupt, Miss. Swan. Could I speak with you for a moment?" I ask, addressing her formally in front of her students as she has done with me.

"Oh, of course." She rises from behind her desk and smooths her skirt. Every boy in the class follows the movement of her hands over her hips and thighs with their eyes, as do I.

I stand at the back of the class and wait for her to come to me, afraid to move from my spot.

"I'd like you to start by writing down your initial thoughts about the song and then share them with your neighbour. When I return we'll listen to it." She opens the door and I follow her out into the hall.

I've only stood close to her like this a handful of times and it strikes me how tiny she is. I'm probably close to a foot taller than her and while I'm lanky and still retain the awkwardness of a teenager, she makes me feel huge beside her. It's almost an ego boost, which I can admittedly use since being a nerd isn't really all that appealing to the ladies and it's been quite a while since I've had a date.

"Hi," she says softly once we are outside the classroom door. She looks up at me, her head tilting back. I'm holding onto the door knob and she's pressing herself against the frame. If I raised my pinkie finger, I would graze the fabric of her skirt.

"Hi," I reply, realizing I should definitely say more than that, but I'm mesmerized by the rise and fall of her chest and the pink flush of her cheeks.

"Um . . ." she says uncertainly, looking through the window in the door to her classroom.

"Oh, right, uh . . . did you still want my help organizing the dance?" I ask.

"Pardon? Oh. I thought you were kidding," she says and her brows furrows as she lifts her fingers to her mouth and chews off a hangnail.

"About helping?" I ask.

She nods but says nothing, still chewing on her nails.

"I meant it. We could meet after school if you want and go over what needs to be done," I offer.

"Okay, are you sure?" she asks.

"Definitely, I'll meet you in the staff lounge?" I question.

"Sure, that sound great, Edward. Thank you so much, you have no idea how much I appreciate this." She touches my arm in one of those sweet gestures and I can't help but shiver a little at the contact.

"No problem, Bella, I'll let you get back to your class," I say and open the door for her. All the students turn and look at us and I know there's going to be some gossip floating around and for the first time, I'm actually welcoming it.

I practically float through the remainder of the day and I am close to breaking out in hives I'm so excited and nervous. I've had an entire conversation with Bella and I didn't say anything overly odd. I'm beginning to feel a tug of confidence as I pack up my things and head to the staff lounge once the final bell rings. Of course that's dashed as soon as Emmett shows up and corners Bella, grilling her about whether she wants to help him coach co-ed baseball in the spring.

"I'll have to get back to you on that Emmett. I'm not sure if I can swing it. Give me a couple of weeks to look over my other obligations and we can talk about it then," she says, sounding uncomfortable and slightly irritated. Emmett doesn't seem to notice, but finally gets sidetracked by a conversation about the football team and leaves Bella alone.

I walk over to where she's standing. "Hi."

"Hi." She smiles up at me.

"How was the rest of your day?" I ask.

"Good, excellent, and yours?" she asks, looking like she's got a secret she's not going to tell.

"Good, better now," I reply honestly, and then realize how it could be taken which is exactly how I mean it. Fortunately, Bella doesn't seem to realize this and she nods knowingly.

"They've been a little ramped up, the kids I mean." She bites her lip thoughtfully and taps her fingers on the edge of the table she's standing beside. "Did you want to work in your classroom? Or we could see if my home base is empty, sometimes Lauren works there after school since we share the space . . . " she trails off, her nose wrinkling a little in distaste.

"We could go over things in the lab," I reply, happy that Bella doesn't want to hang out in the lounge with all the other teachers. It makes me a little nervous to be in there with her, talking. I know people will talk about us working alone together, because I don't talk to many people if I don't really have to. I've always been quiet and shy and a bit reserved. On the other hand, everyone talks to Bella and this means I might be forced into conversations and small talk. If this happens, I'll definitely break out in hives.

"Great," Bella says enthusiastically and grabs her things.

I follow after her and reach around her to open the door, causing my chest to graze her arm in the process. She lets out a quiet breath and drops a few things. I'm sure she hasn't anticipated the contact and I've startled her.

"Sorry," I mutter close to her ear and then I bend down and pick the stuff up off the floor. I can't help but steal a peek at her feet, delicate and lovely in their strappy heeled prisons. I look away quickly because I can't afford to have _that_ sort of problem when we're about to be alone together in my classroom. I am a professional and I will continue to act like one, even though I had been dreaming of Bella nightly for the past few days, and those dreams have been anything but professional.

We spend the next few hours together in my classroom, pouring over the details of the dance, discussing things that need to be organized. Finding a DJ was first on the priority list and I told Bella that I can call my cousin Jasper and see if he'll be willing to do it. He's a bit of a stoner, but he'll be able to deal with the horrible music teens listen to today. If we have students write down requests, then he'll at least know what the majority of the school population listens to. It's basically just noise from what I gather, but then again, I have fairly eclectic taste in music so I might not be the best judge.

For the next three weeks, I spend every free moment with Bella after hours unless she's tutoring or running her after school poetry group, which I have started to drop in on. I only come for the last ten minutes, when Bella wraps up and reads a short piece that causes the entire group to fall into silence. She asks them to reflect on the piece in a journal that the students take with them and bring back the following week.

I find reasons to touch her, innocently enough of course. A brush of fingers against the back of her hand when we are walking down the hall to my classroom, sweeping her hair behind her shoulder when she bends over a page to write so I can see what she's putting down on the paper. It doesn't seem to make her uncomfortable, and I try to tell myself that it doesn't mean anything, but I know it does for me at least.

Today is the last day before the dance, and Bella cancels the poetry group so she can enlist those students to help with the dance and decorate the gym instead. They have to be the sweetest kids; some of them are even in my biology class and it appears they like me much better outside the classroom than inside.

"Mr. Cullen?" A tiny tenth grader named Bree stands beside me, holding a red heart shaped balloon and a pair of scissors that she's going to use to curl the metallic red ribbon that is tied at the base.

"Yes, Bree?" I respond and smile down at her. She's an average student in my class, but she participates and works hard, so I enjoy having her there.

"Are you and Miss. Swan dating?" she asks.

I just about choke on the sip of coffee I'm taking, although I should expect this because we have been spending a lot of time together and of course students are going to think this. I even like the idea that they think this.

"No, Bree," I reply, giving her a gentle smile. "We're just friends and we work together."

"Oh, that's too bad, I think she really likes you." Bree shrugs. "And she's really pretty."

I want to ask her what makes her think that Bella likes me, but I don't think that's an appropriate conversation to have with a student at all. I also don't want to entertain the skewed ideas of a hormonally challenged teenage girl, so I don't say anything. She grabs more balloons and more ribbon and takes her supplies across the room to sit beside a gawky looking boy named Riley. They look rather adorable in their awkwardness together.

"Mr. Cullen?" Bella's voice comes from beside me and I look over to see her trying to tie together several balloon at the same time. I hold onto them for her while she manages to tie a knot and secure them. "Thanks," she says. "Do you think you could grab my notebook from your classroom? I forgot it there and I want to go over the checklist. That is if you don't mind."

"No, of course not, Miss. Swan," I say, secretly enjoying the formality of our titles in the presence of students.

I set down the coffee I've been drinking while trying to figure out how to work the decorations I've been assigned to put together, and I gladly go retrieve her notebook for her. Once in my classroom, I find her pile of books that she's been carrying around with her and search for the one she's requested.

Of course in my haste I fumble and drop several books on the floor, papers spilling out everywhere. I start gathering them up and hesitate when I see my name in the midst of one of the pages. I'm torn between knowing that I shouldn't be looking at this and the fact that I am both curious and flattered that my name appears somewhere in Bella's notes. I'm sure it must have something to do with the dance.

I pick up the piece of paper and scan the first few sentences, promising myself that I'm just going to find out the context of the note and then I'm going to put it back where it belongs and pretend I've never seen it. But I quickly realize that I'm not going to be able to put it down, because it's erotic literature, written in Bella's lovely flowing script about her and me. And it's quite graphic, enough so that I need to stop reading because I am growing aroused and I can't go back to the gymnasium with the way I'm straining against my pants. I shove the notes back into one of the books and I think about dissecting fetal pigs which helps curb the growing problem in my pants.

Once I am under control, I head back to the gymnasium with the notebook Bella wants, trying to pretend I haven't been reading things I shouldn't. I feel incredibly guilty about what I've done, but at the same time I'm elated to think that Bella is thinking about me the same way I'm thinking about her. Granted she's far more explicit about it than I am. I'm not sure if I should pretend as though nothing is different, or if I should try and put some moves on her. What kind of moves these will be, I have no clue. Now that I know Bella does actually like me and wants to break the boundaries of professionalism, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I can fully admit that I've had a crush on her since the day she started and she told Emmett to stop dosing the football players. She is sweet and feisty and funny and lovely.

I can't stop myself from acting weird once I get back to the gym. I can't even look at her for fear that I'm going to give myself away and she'll know that I've been reading her erotic literature. Once all the students are gone, I grow even more nervous because I'm alone with her and all I can think about is the fact that I want to do all the things she writes about. I want to say the dirty words in her ear and hear her make small, soft noises that I can swallow up when I kiss her.

"I was wondering if you wanted to drive in together tomorrow. I could pick you up and then take you home once the dance is over," I offer nervously.

This will give me more time alone with Bella. I'm not sure what I'm planning on accomplishing here, but I do know that I want to spend as much time with her as I can. I've really enjoyed planning this event with her, and I don't want our time together to be over now that there is no more dance to plan.

"You don't have to do that," Bella says as she picks up her jacket and shrugs it on. I am currently wishing I was quicker on the uptake and I had offered to help her to do it, because it means I could be touching her right now.

"It's no problem. I'd really like to, Bella," I say quietly, trying to make my voice smooth, like she describes it in her story. I don't think it's working, though, because she gets that little crease in her brow and her breathing speeds up like she's about to have a mild panic attack. I know this feeling because it's the exact one I have every time I'm in close enough proximity to touch her. Except spending more time with her is making it more manageable.

"Well in that case, I would love for you to pick me up. Do you know where I live?" She smiles up at me, her eyes soft and warm and inviting. I want to kiss her.

Instead, I clear my throat nervously and pull on my tie while I nod. I know that she's staying with her father because he was shot in the line of duty early in the summer and he's still having trouble with the leg that got hit. Bella doesn't speak about it often, but what she's said leads me to believe that he will likely not be able to patrol any longer. Having lived in Forks for the past six years, I'm sure Charlie Swan with a desk job is not something that will be easy for him. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for Bella.

I walk her to her car and stand there for a moment before I reach out and brush a few stray hairs away which have gotten caught on her lip gloss. She bites down on the sweet pink flesh and once again the desire to kiss her takes over.

"I'll be ready for you at seven-thirty," she says and because my mind has sunk into the depth of teenage perversion, I think about her in white lace on my bed instead of standing outside on her front porch.

"I'll see you then," I reply, my eyes snapping up to meet hers just in time for hers to flicker away.

"Good night, Edward," she says quietly before unlocking her door and slipping into the seat of her car.

I walk to my own car which is parked a short way down, and wave as Bella pulls out of the lot. I need to make a plan, because my accidental peek at Bella's writing is giving me a shot of courage I never knew existed. If nothing else, I'm going to try and kiss her tomorrow. Just the thought alone makes my skin itch, and I take deep cleansing breaths, wondering if I'll ever get over this ridiculous anxiety I have. I really hope so, because the more I get to know Bella, the more I feel like I've found someone I connect with in ways I haven't before.

~*~

As soon as I get home, I agonize over my choice of outfit for the next day like a teenage girl. I wish for a moment that I have a friend I can call about this, but I don't and even if I did, that person would probably question my sexuality under these circumstances so I'm on my own. I can call my sister, but that will turn into a conversation I don't want to have, so I avoid that option.

It's a dress down Friday tomorrow, so this makes it even more difficult. I search my closet for the jeans my sister bought me months ago, and I try to decide if they're actually reasonable to wear. They're a brand I've never heard of before, and I'm not sure about them since my sister tells me they'll make my ass look like gold. I have no idea what this actually means, but I'm thinking it's supposed to be good.

I pull them out along with a white button down and a red tie. I also pull out a short sleeved t-shirt to wear and an extra button down, just in case I'm supposed to be more casual for the dance, or I spill something on it during the day. I have no idea how a staff member is supposed to dress for one of these things. I consider calling Bella because I have her number on my fridge since it's part of the phone tree, but I decide against it. I don't want her to know that I never actually went to a dance as a teenager. I was far too much of a science nerd to be bothered with that kind of thing.

I dream of Bella as I sleep, her long hair flowing in waves down her back, wearing my favourite pair of jeans with the number seven in little jewels on the back pockets. I regret to admit I have spent an unconscionable amount of time staring at them trying to figure out the design. Bella has a very, very nice bottom. Very nice. And I am certainly not the only one who notices this. In my dream it's just her and I on the dance floor, no one else is there and I can actually dance, which is how I know it's a dream. Just before I wake up, she wraps her hand around the back of my neck and I lean down to kiss her, except the fire alarm goes off.

This of course is my alarm, alerting me to the fact that today is the Valentine's Day dance and I feel like I'm the teenager, hoping I'll get to dance with my crush. Actually, I'm hoping I'm going to get to do a lot more than dance with Bella, and I feel like I've grown a pair of balls, which happens when one reads work by said crush indicating that they too feel the same way. If not for having read Bella's devastatingly sexy words, I fully admit I would feel like I might need to puke. Instead I feel like a million dollars. I take care of my morning problem in the shower, fueled by images of Bella, and get ready to pick her up.

She looks nervous when I pull into her driveway, a black garment bag thrown over her arm, her head down as she walks quickly toward the car. She's wearing _the_ jeans. I try not to focus on them for too long because it will undo all the work I've done in the shower and I'll be uncomfortable for the remainder of the day, and well into the evening.

"Hi," Bella says in her whispery-breathy voice.

"Hi," I reply, trying not think about the way she looked in my dream, since it's relatively close to the way she looks right now.

"Hi," she says again, fidgeting nervously.

"You look lovely," I say as she closes the door and I grip the steering wheel, not sure if I'm over stepping boundaries. I haven't had my morning coffee yet, and I don't function well without it.

"Oh, thank you." Bella looks at me, her eyes wide with shock. She bites her lip and touches her hair, both things I want to do.

I give her what I hope is a warm smile and she blushes and looks away. I'm suddenly struck with the fear that she might just know I've read what she's written. I don't remember if I just shoved the papers randomly back in a book or if I tried to organize them; my mind was too full of images of me with my hands in places I wanted them to be right now . . .

I realize I'm staring at her and I clear my throat before I back the car up and pull back onto the street.

"Are you . . ." I begin but Bella starts talking at the same time.

"Edward, did you . . ." She stops at the same time I do and I motion for her to go on.

"Nothing, never mind." She shakes her head and clutches her bag to her chest.

"Is everything okay?" I ask her, paranoid that I'm right.

"Everything is fine." She nods quickly but she's looking at her lap and I don't believe her.

I reach out and touch her shoulder and she jumps and shrieks a little. "Sorry, so sorry," I say in a rush while I signal to pull over, because I feel like I'm about to have a panic attack.

"I'm just nervous about tonight," she says, but I stop anyway.

I don't really know why I do this, but I'm in no rush to get to work and Bella smells unbelievably good. Of course my verbal filter is non-existent pre-coffee.

"You smell amazing," I blurt out and then cover my mouth with my hand, I can feel my eyes practically popping out of my head because I am completely mortified.

Bella just stares at me, her lips parted and her soft, pink tongue runs along her teeth.

"I read something I shouldn't have yesterday," I admit, unable to control my mouth.

"Oh my God," Bella moans, and buries her face in her hands. She sounds almost like I expect her to when I imagine doing the things she writes about.

I'm not sure what to do. I know she's just as mortified as I am, probably more so because I'm positive she knows what I'm referring to.

"You're a very talented writer," I choke out, because I am clearly a social cue taking defective idiot.

"Please don't, Edward, I'm so embarrassed," Bella says, and it sounds like she might be on the verge of tears.

I do the only thing I can think of. I pry her hands away from her face and lean across the the space between us, brushing my lips over her cheek. She's either going to respond in kind or slap me; I'm prepared for either outcome. She gasps and turns her face towards mine, the corner of her mouth catching the corner of mine. Both of us moan quietly as we tilt our head in opposite directions and our lips make full contact for the first time. I'm still holding onto her hands and in a heartbeat they are gone and weaving through my hair as she parts her lips and her tongue sweeps across my lower lip.

"Oh God," I mumble. It's been an awfully long time since I've had the opportunity to kiss a woman and I am instantly straining against my pants at the feel of her mouth on mine.

Both of us are pulling against our restraints and I unbuckle my seat belt and sort of clamber forward a bit, trying to get closer to her. I press the release button on her seat belt and she lurches forward, moaning loudly as my tongue finds hers. Our teeth knock and clash and she whimpers when I kiss her with too much force and bite on her lip.

"S-sorry," I say breathlessly and try to pull away, but she yanks on my hair and now it's my turn to whimper. "Ow."

"I want to rip all your clothes off and lick every inch of your body," Bella says in the same voice she uses to read to her class.

"Oh my God," I mumble, because I am definitely feeling like this is a very good idea.

She sucks my lower lip into her mouth and nibbles gently before pushing away from me, her back against the door of my car. Her chest is heaving and her cheeks are flushed red. Her lips are darker than usual and swollen; her hair is slightly wild since I've been shoving my hands in it.

"We have to go to work," she breathes.

"Huh?" I ask, trying to figure out what's going on since a second ago I was being kissed by the woman of my dreams--literally--and now she's talking about work.

"It's seven-fifty, we have to get to school. I have a first period class." She bites her lip and then runs her fingers across it.

"Oh, oh right," I reply, a little taken back by the abrupt change in her demeanour.

We drive the rest of the way to work in tense silence and I have no idea what I'm supposed to say or do. All I really want is to make out with her again. I'm at a loss, though, and by the time I can finally connect my mouth and my brain again, we're in the staff parking lot and Bella is struggling to get out of the car with all of the things she's carrying. I run around to help her.

"Are you upset with me?" I ask, because I'm very afraid she is and I might not get a chance to kiss her again. "I didn't mean to read . . . what you wrote. I was just trying to get your stuff and I dropped it on the floor and I saw my name and then I read a paragraph. Or two . . . or three."

"Oh no," Bella murmured, looking at her feet, her embarrassment palpable.

I lean in close, mustering courage from the memory of our kiss mere minutes earlier. "I found it incredibly sexy, the things you wrote about me doing to you. I'd like to make you feel that way," I say quietly in her ear.

Her head snaps up and her eyes meet mine, widening with something akin to terror. I can see her mind turning, trying to figure out what exactly I've read and I desperately want to know what other situations she's envisioned. I'd like her to describe these scenarios in great detail, preferably in her very sexy poetry reading voice. And then I am more than willing to act them out with her.

I tenderly touch the back of her hand with my fingertips hoping the gesture will put her at ease, the tip of my nose is almost touching hers.

"No fucking way," a voice which lacks the sweet sexiness of Bella's interrupts and if I wasn't so lanky and wiry, I can definitely see myself punching out Emmett McCarty for his horrible timing.

Bella sighs, blushes and waits for it, because we both know it's coming. The entire staff is going to know all about us by the time lunch rolls around. Although the rumours have been flying since the first day we started organizing the dance together, but up until now, Bella seems to have been oblivious to it.

"What's Cullen got that I haven't?" Emmett asks, like he's genuinely curious.

Bella stands there, staring at her feet for a long moment before she looks up and meets my gaze. I fear for the briefest second that she's going to deny anything is going on. She looks at Emmett, who appears quite perplexed and arches her adorable eyebrow and I suddenly understand why she doesn't have classroom management issues.

"I would try to explain it to you, but it would be an exercise in futility," Bella replies and turns on her heel, her head held high as she struts to the main entrance. I keep step with her, trying not stumble over my feet as I watch the sway of her hip from the corner of my eye. I peek down occasionally, trying to get a glimpse of the jewelled seven on the back pockets of her jeans.

We head directly to the staff room and I can't help but feel like all eyes are on us already. Bella is cheerful and sweet and charming as she greets our colleagues and then gets herself ready for her first class. She gives me a coy smile and a wink before leaving the room and I choke on my coffee, nearly spewing it all over my fresh white shirt.

I barely see her for the rest of the day, and when we are finally together, there are a dozen or more students and a select number of staff around, so I am completely unable to engage her in any private, innuendo laden conversation.

Sooner than I realize it's seven o'clock and the dance is going to start in a half hour. The students who have stayed go to their lockers and apply too much lipstick and eyeliner or Axe body spray. I want to tell them not to try so hard, but I would certainly do the same if I didn't know that Axe makes Bella want to vomit. I settle for deodorant, mouthwash and mints.

Bella comes out of the women's staff change room in a red wrap dress and I nearly fall out of my chair. There are a few other staff members hanging around, one of which is Emmett, who apparently never misses these 'shin digs' as he calls them.

"Holy fuck," he mutters under his breath as Bella smooths her dress over her hips and adjusts the tie at the side of her waist.

All I can think about is that fact that one pull on that tie at her waist and her dress will fall open, revealing what lies beneath. I am ever hopeful that it's white lace, or red to match the dress, and I say a small prayer that I will actually get to find out.

"You look stunning," I blurt out in front of everyone and then wish for the chair to swallow me up.

Bella flushes a shade red that is only slightly less vibrant than her dress and bites her lip. I can feel the collective silent groan as the male teachers in the room turn slightly and shove a hand furtively in their pocket to adjust themselves. I cross my legs to cover my arousal and look down, away from the 'V' neckline and her slender waist. I try not to focus on the curve of her calf or the fact that she's wearing heels in the same colour red as her dress and her toe, painted to match, is peeking out at me. I think I am falling in love with her feet, along with the rest of her.

When I've calmed myself down enough with images of cadavers and dissected animals, I stand up and Bella and I leave the staff lounge together.

"I need to stop by my classroom for a moment," she says softly and I follow behind her, mesmerized by the click of her heels and the sway of her hips. She looks around the hallway to see if anyone notices us and then slips into the classroom, dragging me in behind her by my tie. As soon as we are in the room, she pushes me up against the wall to the right of the door, away from the narrow window and presses her soft, warm body against mine.

I can't see anything because it's dark and my eyes have yet to adjust to the light, but I can feel everything. Bella's delicate hands slide over my chest and down to my waist, curling around the buckle of my belt. I take in a shaky breath, afraid I might start to hyperventilate if she keeps touching me like this.

I close my eyes, because it doesn't really matter if I keep them open, and reach out to run my hands up and down her sides. Bella's lips find my neck and she presses them there, travelling quickly up my jaw until she's at my mouth. Her lips are voracious and she kisses me with the same intensity that her voice holds when she reads something she finds particularly engaging.

"We don't have a lot of time," she mutters quietly.

I feel a tug on my belt and she makes quickly work of getting it undone. I panic for a moment, because I think she might want to have sex with me right now, and while I'm definitely interested in having sex with Bella, I don't think I want it to be right here, in this classroom before we have to chaperon a dance together.

"Bella, I . . ." I begin, that is until her fingers dip below the waistband of my briefs and graze my straining erection. Bella lets out a soft little moan before she wraps her fingers around me. I am excited by the thought that I may just be lucky enough to get a hand job before the dance, which feels very much like a teenage thing to do. I'm fine with this, because Bella's hand is far softer and warmer and nicer than my own.

"Oh . . . wow," Bella says softly as she strokes me experimentally.

"Wh-what?" I ask and she runs her thumb over the devastatingly swollen head causing me to shiver.

"It's just so . . . unexpected," she says and without further elaboration her lips are gone from mine and then I feel her warm breath against my erection before her soft lips are wrapping around the head and she sucks me into her hot, wet mouth.

"Holy . . . God," I groan as quietly as possible and she begins stroking me with her mouth. Talk about unexpected. I feel like we're moving at warp speed here, I just kissed her this morning and now she's on her knees in her classroom, fellating me. And doing an exceptional job. I hold off as long as I can, which really isn't very long at all since all I've been able to think about all day long is Bella's sweet lips against mine in the car and her bottom in those jeans. Combine that with the feel of her lips wrapped around me and I can't stop my impending release from coming far too quickly.

"Bella, I . . . you need to stop, I'm going to . . ." I say in a strained voice.

I rub her shoulders but she doesn't release me from her mouth, instead she takes me deeper and sucks harder until I bite my lip to suppress the groan that is desperate to explode out of me and the heat spikes through my body and I release inside her mouth. She moans around me, and I shudder, folding forward a bit as I struggle to stay up right. She licks her way up my softening shaft and finally releases me from her hand and mouth. I help her stand, stammering away as I try to figure out what the hell just happened.

"That was . . . thank you . . . God," I stammer out. Bella giggles in the dark and wipes her mouth before reaching into her dress between her breasts, she pulls out some lip gloss and applies it without being able to see what she's doing. I hastily button my pants and tuck in my shirt.

"Clearly you didn't read that part," she says in that breathy, sex voice as she opens the door and checks the halls before pulling me out of the room.

I follow her as she clicks down the hallway toward the gymnasium, trying not to stumble because my legs feel like jello. I can't wait to return the favour. I'm still reeling because Bella's impulsive behaviour is completely dumbfounding. She spins around just before we reach the hallway leading to the gym.

"I don't normally do things like that. I've never done that before . . . I mean . . . I've done _that_ but not this kind of thing." She motions to her mouth and the front of my pants. "I'm usually so much more controlled." She sort of muses the last part to herself.

I just nod and chew my lip before smiling. I lean down, feeling rather impulsive myself and brush the tip of my nose along her cheek. "I can't wait to touch you later and feel how wet you are," I whisper, blushing furiously as the words leave my lips. I really hope I don't break out in hives.

"Oh Lord," Bella sighs and lets out a heavy, unsteady breath.

I lean back and watch her chest heave slightly, willing my body to stay where it is and not press her against the lockers and just . . . do something dirty to her.

The rest of the night passes in a blur of longing and fantasy. I can't stop watching her. She dances with her students; the girls love her because she's fun and silly and she doesn't care if she looks ridiculous, which she doesn't. She looks beautiful and sexy and I can't believe that she's interested in me.

"Dude." Emmett comes up to me and pats me on the back before crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't know what the hell you did to get her to be interested in you, but once you hit that shit, I wanna know what it's like."

"Emmett," I say, turning to glare at him, "If you weren't three times my size, and I wouldn't lose my job because of it, I would definitely punch you in the face for that comment."

He nods and looks at me, like it's what he expects me to say. He stands beside me silently for a minute before the tension gets too thick and he pats me on the back one last time before walking away to tell some freshman kid to stop grinding up on a junior girl before she knocks his teeth out.

It seems like eons of time pass before the dance is almost over and all the hormonally challenged teens will be sent home sexually frustrated from all the grinding they've been doing. When the last song of the night comes on, all of the kids find partners and sway back and forth to the music in that awkward way that makes them look like they're having sex with their clothes on.

Once the lights come on, we usher them out the door and clean up; it's almost midnight by the time I'm helping Bella into her coat. I don't want to put any pressure on her, but knowing that she's taking care of her father I want to invite her over to my place. I wait until we've said polite good-byes to everyone and Bella smiles brightly and thanks them all for their help and support.

As soon as I have her in my car, I blast the heat and Bella rubs her hands together in the cold of the damp February night. "I was wondering . . . I know it's late, but if you wanted to come to my house for a drink . . ."

"Oh, Edward, I think we both know I want to come to your house for more than just a drink," Bella says softly as she runs her hands slowly down her thighs.

I exhale in a gust. "Okay." I nod and gun the engine in reverse, almost hitting Emmett's truck in the process. I continue to cut him off and wave at him as he flips me the bird.

I drive almost ten miles over the speed limit the entire way home and as soon as we get there, Bella is out of the car before I can help her. She meets me at the hood and I take her hand, because it feels natural and right to do. We walk in silence to the door and I unlock it with shaking hands, ushering her inside.

She unbuttons her coat and hangs it on the hook behind her. As soon as she turns back to me, I pull her body into mine and my lips descend on hers, parting them quickly with my tongue. She moans softly into my mouth and presses her hips against mine. My hands are everywhere: on her back, over her hips, her thighs, grazing the swell of her breasts and the curve of her bottom.

Her hands are a hot blizzard, yanking my shirt out of my pants, and deftly flicking the buttons open. Once she reaches the top button, she loosens my tie and breaks the kiss for the moment it takes to get it over my head, shoving my shirt over my shoulders. I'm wearing a t-shirt underneath and Bella groans in frustration as her hands slide underneath it and she pushes it up around my chest, forcing me to raise my arms so she can get it over my head. She pauses for a moment once my shirt is discarded on the floor and just stares at me.

I have to resist the urge to cross my arms over my chest; I'm not super buff and built. I can't seem to gain weight even when I'm working out and eating copious quantities of food, and I've tried.

She bites her lip and looks up at me, giving me a smile that almost qualifies as timid. "God, you're so sexy, do you even realize that?" She runs her hands down my chest and over my stomach, swirling her finger around my bellybutton, causing the muscles to contract violently. "I bet you don't," she says softly as she reverses the direction of her fingers and circles my nipples this time. I shiver involuntarily.

"I bet you didn't know that both Jessica and Lauren have crushes on you. They kept telling me how they wanted to corrupt you because you're just so sweet. It really pisses me off," Bella says, her eyes widening at her own admissions. I don't even know what to say; until now I didn't even know that Jessica and Lauren cared whether I exist or not.

"I don't want to talk about Jessica and Lauren," I say, tracing a line from her collarbone along the edge of the fabric of her dress until I reached the bottom of the 'V', "But I'm glad that them talking about me pissed you off. I think you're utterly adorable when you're angry," I say, knowing that this will potentially get a rise out of her. I can barely contain my excitement as I skim the soft material and pull on the tie that holds her dress together. The fabric falls but doesn't really uncover anything and I stare at her chest, frowning in disappointment.

"I think we should probably move this somewhere more . . . comfortable before we continue," Bella suggests softly, biting on that luscious lip.

"Oh, of course," I reply and take her hand, pulling her along with me toward the stairs to my bedroom, bending down to kiss her neck or shoulder along the way.

"I really like your place, do you live here alone?" Bella asks in a quiet voice as we ascend the staircase.

"I do," I respond as she stills at the top of the stairs.

"In that case . . ." She smiles at me and lets go of my hand, reaching inside her dress she pulls another tie and it falls open. She shrugs softly, causing the fabric to slide down her arms and pool on the floor around her feet.

I stare at her, because it is so much better than I could have ever anticipated. Bella is wearing a red bra with little white hearts on it, and there is black lace and ribbon adorning it; her panties match and the band of black lace around her waist makes her pale skin look that must more translucent in the light.

"Holy . . ." I mutter and without conscious thought I sort of palm myself through my pants, drawing Bella's gaze to my crotch. I reach out and pull her body to mine, feeling the warmth and softness of her skin pressed against my chest.

"How long?" I ask, kissing my way across her shoulder as I lift her slight frame and she wraps her legs around my waist, inches too high to provide relief for the friction we both desire so much, but perfect for kissing her.

"What?" she asks, tilting her pelvis toward me, trying to gain the friction I don't have as I press my lips to her shoulder and then her neck.

"How long have you been writing about me? How much is there?" I ask, wanting to know if she's been thinking about being with me for as long as I've been thinking about her.

"Since October, and there's lots of it. More than there should be," she says and I can hear the embarrassment in her voice.

I'm placated and relieved as I carry her to my room, glad I've left the bathroom light on, illuminating Bella in a soft glow. As soon as I have her seated on the edge of the bed, she pulls at my belt, loosening it quickly as she unbuttons my jeans and pushes them over my hips. She looks up at me as she processes my choice of underwear and I'm suddenly embarrassed because I feel like I'm probably a little behind the times.

"You are just too sexy for words, do you have any idea?" She looks up at me as she runs her hands over my sides and up and down my thighs. She trails her hands over my chest and along my neck, skimming my jaw she touches my glasses. "If I take these off can you still see me?" she asks.

I nod mutely and she removes them gently, folding them before placing them on the nightstand. She lets her fingers drift back down my stomach and slides them back and forth along the waistband before dipping them underneath. She leans forward and kisses just below my bellybutton.

"Oh no, I want to touch you this time," I murmur and she moans against my skin. I climb up onto the bed with her, my hands shaking with the nervousness that is overtaking me. I want this; I've wanted this for months. She's been all I can think about and finally she's here in my bed and I'm going to make love to her, even though it all feels a bit backwards and out of order.

I cup her fabric covered breasts in my hands, running my thumbs over the line of lace and satin at the edge between her skin and her bra. She makes small, sweet noises of contentment and desire as I touch her.

"You're just so beautiful," I say quietly and she reaches behind her and unclasps the bra, letting it fall away from her body and I am suddenly cupping soft, warm skin and tight, puckered nipples are brushing against my palms.

I react without thinking and I'm suddenly between her thighs, two layers of fabric separating me from the warmth and the heat of her body.

"Oh please," Bella whimpers and wraps her legs tightly around my waist. I lean back slightly as she cranes her neck toward me, capturing one of my nipples between her lips as she shifts her hips against my erection.

I groan and knead her breasts gently, until she releases my sensitive skin from her mouth and I bury my face in her neck, planting soft kisses there as I try to remember to breathe and touch and think and touch. I extricate myself from Bella's grip so that I can remove her panties. It's not until they are halfway off that I realize she's wearing a thong and I haven't even been able to properly admire it. As soon as I've removed her panties, I allow my gaze to wander slowly upward and I am devastatingly turned on by the fact that there is only a short strip guiding my eyes to where I want my mouth, my fingers, my body to be.

I sweep my fingers along her thigh and brush gently over her hip before I slide the back of my fingers over the sweet softness of her skin there and she moans quietly, parting her legs for me as I dip my fingers in to touch the sensitive, swollen skin.

"Oh god, you're so warm, Bella, and wet. You're so wet," I breathe.

She shifts her hips toward my searching fingers and gasps when I slip two fingers inside her. "Oh Edward, oh my God," she moans and I lean down and kiss her while I move my fingers inside her. The little sounds that fall from her lips are so much better than I could have ever hoped to imagine and I want to wrap her legs around my waist and find out what it feels like to be inside her. I circle her clit with my thumb and she cries out, her chest arching off the bed as she grabs for my shoulders and pulls my lips to hers.

"I want you inside me," she whimpers against my mouth.

I want to replace my fingers with my mouth first, but at the same time, I want what she wants. I lean over, trying to keep my fingers inside her while I fumble around in the nightstand drawer for my full box of almost-expired condoms while she pushes my underwear down my legs.

"We could . . . I get the shot and I know you don't . . ." she trails off and moans as I curl my fingers inside her.

I know what she's getting at; I don't sleep around. It's quite clear that this is the case and I know that Bella doesn't either or the whole staff would know about it already because they're chatty jerks.

"It's been . . ." I begin but think better of my choice of words. "I'll last longer this way," I admit.

"Oh, okay." Bella nods and takes the packet from my hands and rips it open, squinting at it in the dim light of the room to make sure she isn't going to put it on inside out. She rolls it on slowly and gives my erection one slow stroke before guiding me between her thighs. She slides me back and forth along the wet, warmth of her and then I'm pressing against the hottest place in the universe and I'm sliding in the burning heat of her body.

"Oh God, it's so fucking good," I exhale into her ear.

She gasps and arches her back, pushing her hips up into mine as I blush furiously at my use of profanity. I'm not sure if I should apologize for my inappropriate language or if I should just pretend I didn't say it.

"Oh you dirty boy," she croons in my ear and tugs on my hair, bringing my mouth to hers. I pull almost all the way out before sliding slowly back inside the sweet, tight heat. Clearly she seems to be okay with the fact that I've used an expletive.

"Oh God, Edward, it's even better than I imagined it would be," she moans.

I move inside her, slowly at first and then my thrusts became heavy and strained as I try so desperately to hold on. I kiss Bella softly, hoping that the distraction will help and it does.

"You're so beautiful," I murmur. "You feel so good around me."

"Oh, Edward, oh God, please, yes . . ." Bella whimpers incoherently, words falling from her lips that are nearly unintelligible. "That's it, oh . . . yes . . . yes . . ."

Bella wraps her arms around me and her legs clamp down on my hips almost painfully as she cries out my name. Her whole body spasms and tightens as she cums and I follow right after her, kissing her roughly as I thrust into her erratically. I'm still on top of her, holding my weight off her so I don't crush her. I roll us onto our sides, kissing her the entire time.

"Mmm," Bella mumbles into my mouth as she run her fingers through my hair, her leg slung over my hip. "Happy Valentine's Day, Edward."

**Author: hunterhunting**


	10. Red Not Green

A/N: Thanks to Breath of Twilight for hosting this countdown. Thanks to V and Em for the last minute betaing on this, and my LoD girls. I was trying something out with this, so it's a bit different than my other stuff, but I hope you like it.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

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**Red Not Green**

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I feel the first familiar stirrings in the pit of my stomach. It winds, coils, grows . . . _tighter _. . . _tighter_ . . . _tighter_ . . . and just when I think the tension can't possibly grow anymore . . . nothing. It stops and sits there, its weight heavy in my gut.

Tingles start to pulse through my body in combination with an icy numbness. The mixture of the two sensations is disconcerting but—if I'm honest—not altogether unpleasant.

Adrenaline rushes through my bloodstream, flooding my brain. Badump-badump-badump-badump-badump . . . my heart thuds molto allegro in my chest as my vascular system constricts and my respiratory rate increases. My muscles involuntarily contract—poised for action—as time slows down, my pupils dilate, and all my senses seem to sharpen.

A neon light-like buzz hums in my ears, background music to the other noises in the room. Disconnected, I'm hovering somewhere over my body, the only thing tethering me to it is an invisible thread, and a strange sense of calm washes over me. The calm is in direct opposition to the tension now sitting heavier in the pit of my belly and a slow fire begins to course through me.

Starting at my feet, the flames lick at my delicate flesh as they creep upwards . . . _slowly_ . . . _slowly_ . . . _ever so slowly_. Heat reaches up towards my head, my vision is obscured by a red haze and, as the flames reach the crown of my skull, an intense rage descends over me. It feels like pouring gas on a fire.

I have never understood why the color green is associated with jealousy; jealousy is red, the color of passion and anger and blood. It's the color of the blood boiling in my veins as I watch her touch him . . . and then he leans in to her. A sexy, smug grin on his face and his eyes glittering, he leans to her ear, his lips just barely grazing the shell as he whispers to her. I dig my nails into my palms when she inclines and turns her body so that her breasts press snugly against him. The gorgeous, vaguely familiar, redhead shivers imperceptibly and her eyes try to flutter closed.

I stand in place, frozen despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. All I can do is stare as the man I love more than life does nothing to repel or spurn her rather obvious advances. She sees me staring and pulls slightly away from him, guilt darkening her features for just a moment before her gleaming eyes lock with mine. With the corners of her mouth twitching ever so slightly, she wraps her hand . . . finger . . . by . . . delicate . . . finger . . . around his forearm and then brings her face closer to him; much, much closer than absolutely necessary. She is so fucking close that all she would have to do is turn her head slightly and their mouths would be touching.

She says something to him, tilting her head in my direction and then crosses her arms over her chest. His head snaps up and she rolls her pretty green eyes with what I imagine is disdain. A smile steals lazily across his face when he sees me, and he gestures me over as if I need an invitation to join him. He is waiting for me, after all. I'm not some acquaintance imposing on his date with the redhead who is practically sitting in his lap—although that's exactly what it must look like to the casual observer. The flames I am trying to stifle flare up with a dull roar, engulfing me again and I know I'm about to cause a scene. The scarlet harlot, drops her chin and turns her face into her shoulder, but not before I see her small smirk, and I'll be damned if I am going to let this catty bitch think she beat me.

Giving it right back to her, I plaster on my best fake smile and walk towards them hoping that my taut muscles aren't making my movements look jerky or stiff. I nudge between them, not so subtly telling her to back the fuck off, and throw my arms around his neck. Pulling him to me, I lay a lip-lock on him that is so heavy with intent I actually blush, and the hands that he placed on my hips to restrain me—he's never been the biggest fan of PDA's—reverse instead, pulling me closer. I pull back and end the kiss by placing . . . one . . . two . . . three . . . and then a fourth . . . chaste kisses on his mouth.

"Sorry I'm late, love. My meeting ran over and traffic was hell," I say in between the pecks I give him. My body sinuously slides between him and the bar, wedging me into his side. My arm still around him and the wide grin on my face all but scream, 'Take that, bitch. Mine.'

I look down at her, liking that my new position requires her to look up at me; I like the power it gives me, the dominance. He tenses beside me, angry and disappointed as he realizes what my oral display was for, but I don't look at him . . . I can't look at him. I wonder to myself, not for the first time, how someone so smart can be so fucking dumb? How can he not know that his behavior with her, their proximity to one another, was unacceptable?

_Because there was no lascivious intent on his part, _says a very small voice of reason in the back of my mind. I ignore it the same way I ignore the palpable anger radiating off him, practically burning my skin with its intensity.

I wonder for a second if Scarlet knows how furious he is with me, but I dismiss it. If there is one thing—I smile inwardly, thinking of him naked and moving above me—well, another thing he is good at, it's masking his emotions. He would have been a brilliant actor. Me, not so much. He chooses to ignore my excuses and apology and forge on, pushing my buttons intentionally.

"You remember my co-worker Victoria, don't you?" That's why she looks so familiar. My smile falters a bit and I don't answer him. I focus instead on the effort it's taking me to keep my smile in place. He continues on, intent on getting his barb in. "Vic was kind enough to keep me company while I waited for you to finally arrive."

I feel his eyes on me, tattooing his annoyance on the side of my face, since I refuse to turn and look at him. I keep my eyes on her, tilting my head, my bright smile brittle and tight as I say, "Well, I'm here now. We should probably get going. Don't want to lose our reservation."

"We already have. You're a half hour late." His monotone voice tells me he's beyond mad at me, and I know his façade is wearing thin. I can feel it shifting and rippling, exposing his outrage in small, shimmering bits and pieces.

I barely keep my smile on my face and I feel, more than see, Victoria's sudden unease, as if she senses danger, but isn't quite sure why or where it's coming from. I persevere though, unwilling to lose this fight in front of her even if she isn't aware of the showdown that is currently taking place.

"I'm sorry, baby," I say with syrupy sweetness. The only thing truthful about my apology is the disappointment lacing my words. I don't want to completely ruin the night. I have been looking forward to tonight since he told me about the reservations. "Let's go home and I'll make your favorite meal to make it up to you."

I attempt to slip away out from beside him but his hand quickly lands on my hip and holds me in place beside him.

"We can't just leave Vic here all by her lonesome after she was kind enough to sit with me while I waited. That would be rather rude of us, now wouldn't it?"

That name again. _Vic._ Why is it so familiar? _Vic._ I suck in a deep, shaky breath that's not quite a gasp, and the tension in my body ratchets up a few notches. Eyes narrowed, I surreptitiously look back and forth between the two of them. My smile gets tighter and it's killing me to keep it in place, but I'm determined to do so. With the elusive truth suddenly crashing down on me, I can't think of a single possible answer that would sound sincere. Luckily, I don't have to. The bartender walks up just before my silence becomes obvious.

'_Vic told me the funniest joke at lunch today . . .'_

"Can I get a martini, extra dirty with two olives, please?" If I am going to make it through this, I'm going to need all the help I can get.

'_I've got to stay late with Vic tonight to finish going over these reports.'_

"Thanks," I say with real gratitude behind my words when he sets my drink down on the bar.

'_I wasn't expecting you to have dinner waiting. Vic and I grabbed something after we finished up.'_

"Will that be all?" he asks the three of us—rhetorically I think, because Scarlet and the Asshole already have drinks in front of them. His smile is too friendly and his eyes are raking up and down my body. _I can use this, _I think as I look up at him from under my lashes and return his smile.

'_I'm going to be late again, honey.'_

"Can you start a tab for me?" I ask him, looking from him to my drink and then back to him, subtly hinting to keep them coming. He smiles knowingly.

'_Not going to make it to dinner with your folks, love. Sorry.'_

"Not a problem, Miss…?"

'_Fuck, honey! The campaign Vic and I are working on hit a snag. I was under the gun and forgot about your birthday. I'm sorry'_

I tell him, flashing a big smile as I grab my drink and take a sip before turning back to face my two companions. I can barely mask my rage at this point. _That lying motherfucker! How dare he?_ Lying by omission is still lying, and not telling me the truth is suspect. I slam my martini, chomp my olives and pick up the full one that has replaced the empty one while the Liar makes uncomfortable small talk with _Vic _and she continuously checks either the door or her cell phone. _Wash, rinse, and repeat._

I have no interest in what they are talking about, so I chat with the bartender, Benjamin . . . _but you can call me Benji; it's what all my friends call me_ . . . because he's good company_. _Meanwhile my _loving _boyfriend—too afraid of the confrontation he knows will happen if he says a word to me about how much I am drinking—glares at my new, best-good friend, Benjamin, every time he brings me a new drink, silently trying to get him to cut me off. Benjamin smirks at him, and it makes me like him that much more.

I am on my fifth consecutive martini before I feel the need to join their conversation. I know it's not a good idea, but I really don't care.

"So, Vic…" I say, dragging out the 'V', and snapping the 'ic' as I dig my nails into his lower back. I know the exact moment that he knows that I know with he failed to tell me; I can practically hear the warning bells go off in his head. I have to give him some credit; he's definitely not a pussy. His body stiffens a bit more and he sits a little straighter, but he stoically bears it, giving no outward indication that I'm trying to rip his kidneys out with my dull, barely-there nails. "You guys seem to work a lot of overtime. Your significant other doesn't mind all the late nights?"

Just as I intended, _Vic _squirms like one of the worms my father put on my hook for me when I was a kid. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the jackass desperately trying to warn her with his eyes, and I take a slow sip of my fresh martini. Unfortunately, before she has to answer me, her phone rings and she snatches it up. He uses the opportunity to pull me close.

"What the fuck kind of game are you playing? You know she's the boss' daughter, right?" he whispers furiously into my ear, nipping at it flirtatiously when he pulls away. Him and his need to always keep up appearances.

"_Vic_?" I sneer. "You never mentioned Vic was a woman. Huh? Interesting."

"She's just a co-worker. It didn't really seem relevant."

"So, it's irrelevant that she wants to fuck your brains out?" I raise an eyebrow in question and he at least has the decency to look guilty. "That's what I thought."

"She doesn't . . ."

Victoria hangs up her phone and, before either of us can say a word, says, "I have to run. James just called and it would appear that I am at the wrong restaurant. I swear to God I don't know where my head is at times.

"Pleasure to meet you. I really have heard so much about you, and I must say you've surpassed expectations," she says to me. She turns to him and, with a nod and much too much familiarity with my boyfriend while she's getting ready to go meet hers, she cheerily says, "You, I will see Monday."

I'm smiling, but it's fake and forced, and I'm thinking violent thoughts because I don't understand how she can be so deceptively sweet to the girlfriend of the man she's fucking. She stands up and looks at him as if they have a secret—which they do, it's just not a secret anymore. Suddenly, she grabs his free hand, steps towards him . . . and kisses him. It lands on his cheek, just barely brushing the corner of his mouth, and Edward stutters out a ragged, "Yeah, see ya Monday. G'night, Vic."

I don't react at all, I can't, I'm so beyond furious that I stand there like a statue and let her leave without bitchslapping her like I want to. It's not until she is already halfway to the door that I am capable of anything other than breathing. I pick up my drink, toss back the last of it and then slam it forcefully down on the bar. _Thank God for stemless barware._ I stay still for a few more seconds before I have to pull away, unable to stand him touching me any longer. I stumble a bit as I walk away under the guise of paying my tab but, really, I just don't want to be anywhere near him.

I'm paying, leaving a generous tip, at the opposite end of the bar and trying to act as if I don't notice the glare he is directing at the bartender and me. _What right does he have? None._ I start to walk away, but Benji grabs my wrist, stopping me. My eyes reflexively snap to his face, questioning, and then almost immediately dart to my soon-to-be ex. His jaw is clenched so tight that I can practically hear the bones grinding against one another. He's no longer sitting and his fists are clenched and, God, the man really is beautiful. I'm distracted for a second, but then I remember that I don't give a fuck and I focus my smile on Benji.

"You should give me a call sometime after you drop that tool that you're here with," he says with a sexy smile . . . a sexy smile that is, sadly, completely wasted on me.

He backs away from me to fill an order. As he pulls away, his fingertips drag across the delicate skin on the underside of my wrist and down to my hand, when our fingers come in contact he slips me a scrap of paper and I wonder where it came from. He winks and I feel myself return it with a saucy smile as I walk away. _He's good, but he's too smooth. _

Four eyes watch me turn and walk out of the bar area towards the exit and I have to admit I like it; it makes me feel desired. I don't look at either of them when I leave or as I step out into the cold night air.

I carefully walk down the block towards the street where I parked my car, regretting that last martini and trying to sort out the jumbled mess in my head. I'm so lost in my own thoughts, vacillating between nearly manic rage and choking sorrow, that I don't hear his angry footsteps . . . _clack, clack, clack, clack_ . . . approaching me until it's too late and his hand is tightly gripping my forearm, jerking me to a halt. He roughly spins me around to face him, grabs my other shoulder, holding me in place, and then he begins to shake me.

Eyes wild and spitting mad, he looks feral and a bit frightening, but rather than scare me I find myself excited by it, by him, and I feel the need to push him until he completely loses it.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry? The bartender doesn't get off for a few more hours—I asked," he snarls through clenched teeth. "What the fuck was that? You think it's okay to blatantly flirt with a guy right fucking in front of me? You weren't the first woman that _Benji_ gave his number to tonight, but if you want to be another notch on his bedpost, be my fucking guest."

_Wrong fucking thing to say, dear. Pot, let me introduce you to kettle . . . preferably upside your head._

I put my hands on his chest and shove with everything I have and then twist out of his grasp.

"You have some fucking nerve. I can't . . . I just . . . you're honestly . . . what the fuck?" I whirl around, throwing my hands in the air because I am fucking done with this conversation and I am done with him and I am just—_done_. I storm off in the direction of my parked car. "Why don't you just get back to fucking Vic. I didn't mean to interrupt. And you know what, why don't you go ahead and make it a sleepover this time, 'cause you're not welcome at the apartment. You can come back after I get my shit moved out."

This time I hear him when he finally starts after me, quickly closing the distance between us. I think about running, but know that it's not going to land me anywhere other than on my ass and then the emergency room, in that order. Instead, I ignore him and concentrate on fishing my keys out of the too-deep pocket of my long coat since my hands are trembling so badly that I can't seem to grip them. I reach my car, alone on a strangely deserted side street, and fumble with trying to get the key in the lock, cursing myself for not having taken the time to replace the battery on the lock remote that's dangling uselessly from my key ring.

I almost succeed, but before I have more than the tip of the key in, I am spun around and slammed against the door of my car. My keys clatter noisily to the ground. We are nose to nose, both of us so incensed we are practically incandescent. The only sound in the frozen evening is the heavy breaths puffing out of us in icy clouds. My nipples tighten, my girly parts clench and the slickness between my thighs increases. I can't deny how excited his forcefulness and anger are making me.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" he growls, breaking the silence.

"You're a smart man, what the fuck does it look like? I'm fucking leaving."

"The fuck you are! You're not driving anywhere."

"Fuck you!" I shout, because it's the first thing I think of and I am angry and irrational.

"The fuck is your problem?"

"Wh-what the fuck is my . . . ? What the fuck is my problem? Like you don't know, you cheating fucking bastard!"

"I don't know what the fuck you are talking about. You're fucking delusional—cheating! I'm not fucking cheating! I'm not so sure about you though. Could you have acted like a bigger whore in there, or been a bigger bitch to my co-worker?"

_He did not just call me a whore?_

Before I know what I'm doing, I raise my hand and slap him hard. I vaguely register the burning sting in my palm, but the endorphins rushing through my system keep me from really feeling it.

"Don't you fucking dare call me a whore. I have never fucked around on you. Too bad you can't say the same thing, because she looked like more than just your co-worker to me. I mean, she was practically sitting in your lap . . . and why the fuck were you whispering in her ear? It wasn't that fucking loud in there."

He blanches and my vision goes completely red, jealousy, rage, and betrayal all mingling together into one swirling vortex that sucks me in. I slap him again, using my other hand, and then I really lose it. I'm screaming and screeching like a mad woman as I pummel his chest with my ineffectual fists. He tries to speak, but I don't let him because I don't care to hear what he has to say.

"You son of a bitch . . . I fucking knew it . . . hate you . . . swear to God . . . go fuck your whore . . . get off me . . . I'll fucking kill you . . . how dare you . . . let me go . . . !"

He traps both of my hands in one of his and then holds them between us against his chest. The unintelligible stream spewing from my mouth is mostly silenced when his lips slam against mine, his mouth swallowing my angry words. I try to turn my face away to avoid his kiss, but his free hand plunges into my long hair and he twists a large chunk of it around it. Viciously yanking, he tugs my head into position and then attacks my mouth again. He licks and sucks and bites my lips attempting to force a response from me, but I keep my lips resolutely locked.

My head roughly jerks back and his hand slams into the window of my driver's side door. With a voice that is rough and pained, he demands, "God dammit, Isabella, fucking kiss me!"

Before I can tell him to fuck off, his lips are back on mine—hard, rough, desperate, unyielding, oh so enticing—and I find myself giving in, returning his kiss in kind. He pulls my head back and works his mouth down the column of my neck, alternating licking and scraping his teeth over the sensitive skin. He releases my hands and I lift them up to wrap around his neck, braiding my hands into his hair. He moves back up my neck and then his breath, like his frantic words, is hot against my ear.

"There is no one else, Isabella. No one. Don't you know that yet? Can't you tell how crazy you make me?" he pants, pressing his hips into me, eliciting a sharp cry. He takes my earlobe into his mouth, and my rapidly vanishing train of thought returns.

"What the fuck did you whisper to her?"

Clearly frustrated, he growls against my ear and the vibrations send desire shooting through my body. The coiling sensation returns to my belly, but this time it's lust, not jealousy and dread. My earlobe is pinched between his teeth and his words come out all mumbled when he reluctantly answers me.

"I was telling her about the ring I have in my pocket."

I need to see his eyes. I need to know if he's lying to me. I use my grip in his hair to jerk his head back, ripping his teeth off of my lobe, and we both cry out. In pain or pleasure I'm not sure, but we're both gasping as we stare into each other's souls.

He pulls my hands away from his lion's mane and slams his fists down on the roof of my car, caging my head between his tight arms as he confesses.

"Fuck! This isn't how I wanted to do this! I was going to fucking ask you to marry me tonight. Vic knew, but she hadn't seen the ring and I refused to show it to her before it was on your finger. She asked me to describe it to her, but I was too worried about you surprising me and overhearing . . . I didn't want you to get the wrong idea. _Ha!_ I guess I fucked that up miserably." He sighs in defeat and tears at his hair with both hands.

I look at him for about two seconds before I push off my car and launch myself at him. All of the anger and hurt . . . everything falls away. It's just him and I. Joy swirls up around me and I see disbelief in his eyes, but my smile is wide and reflected in mine. I throw my arms back around his neck and pepper his chest, his broad shoulders—anywhere I can reach—with kisses.

"You're fucking crazy, you know that, right?" he asks, but there's a smile on his face that's nearly as wide as mine, so I don't care, I just want him to kiss me again. He finally complies and bends down to kiss me.

"Crazy for you," I mutter against his lips.

We forget where we are—an empty side street in a quiet Seattle neighborhood—or that we were just fighting. We're consumed with each other, and I have to have him. Now. I don't care that it's twenty degrees in February or that anyone could catch us. I can't wait. With a need that matches my own, Edward searches for the hem of my coat. Giving up, he grabs the front of it and yanks. I hear the buttons . . . _ting, ting, ting_ . . . hitting the concrete and the side of my car, and then the fabric parts. Still kissing, licking, tasting, he nudges my coat open wider. He starts gathering the material of my dress with one hand, ruching it up while I'm fumbling with his belt. I'm grateful that his overcoat isn't buttoned because I don't know that I would have been about to get it out of my way.

My dress is bunched up over his forearm, and he's rubbing his fingers over my silk-covered sex . . . _once_ . . . _twice_ . . . and then he pushes the damp cloth aside and plunges two fingers in. We both groan and I attack his tie, tugging clumsily on the Windsor knot at the base of his throat. I only succeed in getting it partially loosened, before my patience gives out. I am rapidly losing all dexterity due to what his fingers are doing below my waist, so I don't even bother with the little buttons on his white oxford.

I copy the action he used on my coat, only using much less force, and several buttons go flying. I move my hands up and repeat until I have his chest exposed to me, and then I lean in and nip at one cold hardened nipple. I swipe my tongue across the abused flesh and then can't concentrate anymore. I let my head fall back against my car and ogle his gorgeous, muscular body while his fingers pump into me. I have never seen a more beautiful man than him, and an overwhelming urgency washes over me. I have to have him inside me now. Not his fingers, I need _him._

"Edward . . . now, please. I-I . . . need you. Now."

I know he feels it because doesn't say anything. He pushes his partially-opened pants out of his way, pulls himself out of his boxer briefs, wraps an arm around me to help lift me as I hop up and wrap my legs around him. Once he is sure that I am situated, his fingers slide out of me and hold my panties aside as he pushes all the way inside of me in one thrust. I gasp at the sensation and he groans, dropping his head onto my shoulder. He holds still for just a moment, both of us savoring the sensation of him so deep inside me, and then he starts to slowly rock his hips.

Neither of us has the patience for slow and gentle, and after his first few initial thrusts, he sets a blistering pace. I try to match it, but the force of his hips slamming into mine makes it difficult. It's all I can do to hang onto him as I cry out his name. Y_es! Edward, yes! So good!_ I give into the searing pleasure as he fucks me roughly against the side of my car . . . _in and out_ . . . _in and out_ . . . _in_ . . . _out_ . . . _in_ . . . _out_ . . . chests heaving . . . _in_ . . . _out_ . . . _yesyesyes, oh, yes _. . . it's suddenly too much.

His knees are shaking and he's groaning. He buries his face in my neck and mutters, "Car. Now. Keys . . . ?"

"G-g-ground! Oh, God!"

Pinning me between him and the car, he slides us down until he is just close enough to reach the ground. I don't know how he does it, but he manages to find them, unlock the back door, and maneuver us inside and lay me back onto the seat, all without severing our connection. When he is finally holding himself above me, hanging half-way out of my car, and once again moving inside me, there is no more thought, it's all sensation . . . _hard . . . rough . . . smooth . . . slide . . . wet . . . heat . . . so good . . . yes, yes, there! Don't stop!_

I'm crying out, we're groaning, both of us repeating 'I love you,' over and over again until it's a chant . . . .

Our sense of urgency increases, swells along with our need for each other . . . _more, more, more, more, more _. . . we can't get enough. It can never be fast enough, hard enough, deep enough, _enough_ enough. _Oh, but God!_ Suddenly it is enough, it is more than enough, it's everything.

I'm so close and I can feel his movements becoming erratic. _Yes, yes! I love you. Oh, God, I love you!_ Tensing with anticipation, I feel like I'm on the cusp of something big, much bigger than me, bigger than sex. I feel it coming at me like I freight train, and then . . . _oh_ . . . it's there, and he's there too. It's crashing into us and he's spilling into me and I shatter into a thousand pieces that all go spinning out into the universe and I don't care if I'm ever put back together again.

My senses try to return, but fragments of me aren't mending and I don't know if they ever will. Somehow, what all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't do, Edward does with a whisper . . . _I love you_ . . . just before his lips press down on mine.

They leave me and I say, "More than life."

I pull his mouth back to mine, sealing my vow with a kiss, and then our foreheads press together and we just breathe. We lay silent like this for a long while, just breathing each other in, feeling our heartbeats go from thudding to cadenced once again. After not enough time, yet too much time, I finally break the silence.

"So are you going to ask me to marry you, or what?"

"I thought I already did."

I say nothing and he shifts around on top me. The warmth of his chest against mine vanishes and I reluctantly crack one eye to see where it's gone. Peering up, I see him holding himself up above me with one arm, looking down at me with a slightly stormy expression.

"Well?" he demands, causing me to open both eyes.

"Well what, Edward?" My voice is teasing, taunting and light. I let my eyes flutter closed, but it doesn't hide the smile on my face.

"Well, are you going to marry me or not, Isabella Marie Swan?" He sounds demanding, maybe even a bit angry, and my stomach clenches in response. He's still buried inside me and I feel him twitch in response.

Angry Edward turns me on, but I am pretty sure that Bitchy Bella does something for him too, otherwise we probably wouldn't push each other's buttons so much. Even now, in this happy moment, I can't help but goad him a little, wanting to draw out more of his primal side, maybe get the beast to come out and play some more. _I am so masochistic._

"I thought I already answered you?"

"Bell-a . . ." he warns, thrusting his hips against mine. Hot desire courses through my veins as I feel him growing inside me and I push back against him.

"Again?" I ask, hopeful.

"Answer me."

I no longer feel the need to argue with him.

"Yes, Edward. Yes, yes, yes! Of course."

"Say it again." He's fully hard when he pushes his hips against me this time, immediately withdrawing almost all the way.

"Yes!" He pushes in.

"Again!" Out.

"Yessssss!" I moan-slash-hiss as he slowly pushes in yet again.

This time when he pulls back, he doesn't stop before he plunges back in. He's pumping his hips freely now and the pressure between us builds and spirals and climbs and grows and he's kissing me.

"Mine," he says against my pliant lips with a low growl that I feel reverberate through his chest.

Something surges between us, the pressure peaks . . . and we cry out against each other's parted lips, shaking and shuddering and falling and then we drift back to earth. Spent, we lay across the back seat of my car, legs poking out of the open door. His warm weight, limp and lifeless on top of me, is pleasant and I hum softly in satisfaction. If I was a cat, I would be purring. Eyes still closed, I stifle a giggle at the thought, and smile instead. Somehow, Edward knows and I feel his smile press against my chest.

"Happy Valentine's Day, baby," I say as I gently brush damp hair off his sweaty forehead.

"Happy Valentine's day to you, Mrs. Cullen," he replies.

"Swan-Cullen," I amend.

"I don't think so." His voice raises and there's an edge to it. He continues, his tone clipped, and leaving no room for argument, "Cullen. No hyphen."

_Arghhhh! Chauvinistic caveman!_

I argue. I can always find room.

"Don't think just because you put a ring on my finger that you dictate what I do or what name I'm going to take . . ."

"Isabella. Shut up."

_And here we go again_ . . .

I roll my eyes, but I can't quite keep the smile off my face. I'm wondering if we'll be able to make it home before round three starts when Edward starts to rouse. Somehow, I just don't think so . . .

**Author: Amery Marie**


	11. Stupid Cupid

**Okay, this is all human and fairly AU and completely separate from either of my other stories. Bella is grown woman, with a job and a semi-stalker, who hates Valentine's Day on principal and because she doesn't have a Valentine. Edward is…well, you'll see. ****Strictly for fun and entertainment, I do not own anything pertaining to Twilight and I am in no way profiting from this story. (Except in reviews—hint, hint!)**

* * *

**STUPID CUPID **

"Bella Swan."

_Surely not_, I told myself, ducking down lower in my cubicle. I must've imagined that. Not even Mike would be this obnoxious.

"Bella Swan!" the delivery boy called louder. Every head in the office turned to look at me, except Angela who hid her sympathetic expression behind her own book.

I stood up and stalked to the reception desk. The delivery boy looked at me with a confused and almost hurt expression on his face as he handed me my bouquet of red roses and baby's breath tied with a pink ribbon. I couldn't really blame him, I'm sure most of his other deliveries for the day were greeted with squeals and blushes. Well, I don't squeal and I sure as hell don't blush over Mike Freaking Newton!

It had occurred to me that he might do something like this. I'd even considered staying home today to avoid the possibility that Mike really was this stupid, but had chosen to believe he wasn't. Which makes me almost as stupid as he is.

I hate Valentine's Day like I hate root canals and war. It is stupid, artificial, commercial excuse for a holiday, but then I'm not in love. I'm not even in like. I wish I could even muster up the energy to hate Mike, but all I feel is a kind of irritated indifference. If he would leave me alone I could easily forget all about him.

But he won't leave me alone and now I have a armful of flowers and violence in my heart. Mike worked on the next floor up and I curse the day I ever met him in the elevator.

"I was afraid he was going to do that," Angela murmured when I came back to our shared cubicle.

"Why can't he take a hint?" I muttered back quietly, avoiding the questioning glances from several co-workers around us.

Angela dropped her voice even more before answering. "He says he's really in love with you and he's not going to give up."

"Did you tell him he should?"

"I tried, Bella. But if you can't convince him, how likely is it that I can?" She leaned back in her chair watching as I tried to figure out what the hell to do with the roses. Red roses and baby's breath. Couldn't he even be original in his delusional gestures? Finally I laid them on my desk and slammed down a heavy binder on top of them.

I sighed, dropping into my chair and banging my head on my desk in frustration. "If he really knew anything about me, he would know how much I would hate being called up in front of everyone like that. He doesn't love me, he loves the idea of being in love. Anybody else would do as well if we could just get him to shift his fixation onto someone who would appreciate his…enthusiasm."

"So you're really not going to Jessica's Valentine's party tonight?"

"Not a chance in hell. I hate dancing, I hate Valentine's Day and I hate being stalked by a thick-headed jackass with a stupid haircut!"

Angela was openly laughing at me by the time I finished and I had to smile. I was lucky to have found her. Being stuck in a tiny cubicle with another person could have been a nightmare, but Angela had quickly become a rock-solid friend, not to mention the best roommate I've ever had.

***********

When the phone rang at 10:49 that evening, I swear a little voice in my head told me not to answer it. But I have a policy against listening to voices in my head, so I answered it.

"Bella? It's Angela. I need your help." My usually unflappable friend sounded thoroughly flapped.

"What's wrong?"

"Yes! Listen, I left my inhaler at home and I'm having an asthma attack."

My heart sank. "And?"

"I don't want to leave! Ben and I are having such a great time and I don't want to ruin it! I don't want him to know what a complete geek I really am!"

I rolled my eyes, but kept my voice kind. Angela had been crazy about Ben for forever and when he asked her to this party, it was a dream come true for her. So I could hardly begrudge her acting like a girl about the whole thing.

"You want me to bring it to you?" I offered, trying not to sound as completely disgruntled as I was.

"I will owe you for the rest of my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

On the way to Jessica's apartment building, I tried to think of suitably horrible things to ask of Angela as repayment for this if I ran into Mike. The look on Angela's face was repayment enough, though. The only person happier than she, was Ben.

They convinced me to stay a few minutes, even though I was completely under-dressed for the occasion. I was actually enjoying myself despite the cutesy Valentine's decorations everywhere, when Mike strutted up and slung his arm around my shoulders.

"You get my flowers?" he asked.

"No," I lied.

"What the fuck? I'm going to kill those assholes!"

"No, the flowers were delivered, I just didn't _get_ them. I've told you over and over that I am not interested, so why would you send me flowers on Valentine's Day?"

Angela started to laugh and snorted her beer through her nose, so Ben took the opportunity to lead her away.

Mike gave me what I suppose he thought was a sexy grin. "Don't be like that, Bella. Give me one good reason we shouldn't be together."

I was taking a deep breath gearing up to give him four or five good reasons when I felt—yes, felt—a presence behind me.

"Because she's with me," a smooth, vibratory voice said from just over my shoulder.

"Who the hell are you?" Mike demanded, dropping his arm from my shoulder and turning to face the stranger.

"Edward Cullen, Bella's boyfriend."

I tried to school my expression into casual agreement instead of confused gratitude. "Yes, I have a boyfriend! That's why! Now, please Mike, leave me alone."

Mike muttered something unintelligible and stomped away, probably to hook up with Jessica which was his standard fallback plan.

I turned to look at my savior and thought, _Holy shit!_ That's it. The best my brain to come up with in response to the tall, well-built, green-eyed, wild haired Adonis before me.

"Um. Thank you. Really, you saved my ass," I told him.

He raised an eyebrow at that and smirked evilly, "Really? Is that what he had planned for the evening?"

"What? Oh. No! Jeez, god. With Mike? Ugh," I finally stopped babbling and wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. "Uh, I better go. I'm not even supposed to be here. I'm not dressed."

"I think I would have noticed that."

"Ha. Well, thanks again," I said, edging toward the door. He watched me go until I was nearly there.

"I'm afraid I'll have to let your friend know that you're available if you ditch me," he called with a straight face.

"Are you blackmailing me?" I demanded, stalking back. I will admit that I was relieved to have a reason to return to him. I felt an incredible pull toward this beautiful stranger.

"No, I'm just giving you a couple of options. Don't blame me if I am the more attractive one."

"Cocky, aren't you?"

He just grinned and slipped his arm around my waist. "Come with me, Bella."

I didn't even decide to follow him, I just did. He led me out to the balcony, snagging a bottle of wine and two glasses on the way. There were several other people already there.

"Did you see that huge box of imported chocolates they just cracked open in there?" Edward asked me, with a big smile on his face.

"What?" I was confused until I saw the people around us, gradually drift back inside.

"I thought they would never leave," he whispered, leaning into me until I backed up into the wall of the building.

He placed his hands on either side of my face and captured my lips with his mouth. God help me, I loved it. His mouth was hot and insistent, his tongue making promises to me for later.

"What are you doing?" I whispered against his ear.

"If you have to ask, I'm not doing it right," he laughed softly, his breath against my neck sending shivers down my spine.

"I don't even know you."

"What are you talking about? I'm your long-distance boyfriend in town to spend Valentine's with you."

"Oh yeah. I guess I forgot for a moment."

"We'll have to make sure you don't forget about me again."

With that he reclaimed my mouth, simultaneously sliding one hand along my side and over to the button on my jeans. When he popped it open, I jumped. No! This was not going to happen. I wasn't this person. But I felt an awful lot like her right this moment.

"Shh," he soothed me like I was a skittish horse and still I didn't stop him. He slid my zipper down and eased his hand into my panties, whispering in my ear, "Someone could come out here any moment."

I moaned in response and his hand crept further down, his fingers sliding up and down in the wetness gathered there. When his fingers thrust suddenly into me, I cried out against his mouth. "Oh, you're just trying to get someone to come out her, aren't you?"

"No!"

"I think you are. I think—" he stopped, when the glass doors onto the balcony opened. Fortunately, he had me shielded with the side of his body closest to the door.

"Oh! Sorry, man. My bad," I heard Tyler from accounting, laughing as he backed into the apartment.

I tried to push Edward away, but he resisted. "Don't. Not yet," he said, resuming with his stroking into me. He changed courses and concentrated his fingers on my clit, I lost it. I came in his arms, shaking, gasping and wondering what the hell had happened to me.

"You are beautiful when you come," he whispered again. "Your face gets all flushed and your lips part and you get this little line between your eyes like you're concentrating really hard."

"Stop!" I cried, pushing him away for real this time and straightening out my clothes. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I…I have to go!"

"Bella, don't!" he didn't touch me this time, but his voice rooted me in place. "Don't be embarrassed. Don't over think." He moved closer, kissing my neck just below my ear. "Don't go."

"I have to go," I repeated, but then I took a deep breath and said, "but you can come with me. My apartment is just a couple of blocks from here."

He twirled me around and grinned at me before kissing me once on the lips. "Why didn't you say so?"

With his hand in the small of my back, he whisked me through that apartment and out the front door, so fast it was practically a blur. The walk home was brisk and electrically charged, his hand roaming ever lower on my back until he was basically rubbing my ass. Any other time, I would have been horrified and angered, but there was something about this man, this night, that made me want it.

I realized before we got to my front door, that I was about to have my first one-night stand. It seemed oddly appropriate to be happening on Valentine's Day. Why spend the day resenting the flowers I got, and the true love and emotion that I didn't, when I could be having hot monkey sex with this unbelievably hot man with the talented fingers?

By the time we were inside my apartment, I had myself so worked up that I threw myself at him. He responded enthusiastically, lifting me off the ground so that I would wrap my legs around his waist. He carried me into the dining area and laid me back on the table.

"Slow down, love. We have all night," he promised, as he began to undress me. My jacket, my t-shirt, my jeans, and then my bra and panties. Finally I was laid out before him like a feast. I had never felt so vulnerable and so powerful at the same time.

One finger trailed down my face and neck, in between my breasts and down until he veered off and grabbed my hip, pulling me right to the edge of the table. Sitting down in the chair before me, he kissed my thighs lightly, spreading my legs before diving in with long, sure strokes of his tongue. God in heaven, this was already better than every other sexual experience I had ever had combined. I felt the pressure building in my abdomen, beginning to turn and tighten as he continued to manipulate me expertly. Just as I was about to come, he stopped and returned to kissing my thighs sweetly.

I felt tears gather in my eyes with the frustration, and I threw my arm over my eyes to hide them. So I wasn't expecting it when he suddenly wrapped his hands around my thighs and pushed them even wider apart before running his flattened tongue against me hard and sure. He returned to my clit, circling and flicking it over and over again. I came with a guttural moan I didn't even recognize, my hands clutching his hair.

"I can't take any more, love," he grinned. He was standing and he pulled me up to kiss me, forcing me to taste myself on his lips. "Take me to bed or lose me forever."

I laughed weakly, still shaking. I pointed, and he lifted me off the table like I weighed nothing, carrying me to my room.

"What's your favorite?" he asked, setting me on the bed.

"My favorite what?" I asked stupidly.

"Your favorite position, my lovely Bella. What did you think I meant?" He was standing before me, undressing slowly, his eyes roaming over my naked body.

"I don't know." My head was swimmy and fuzzy feeling. I couldn't think, didn't want to. I just wanted him back in contact with me. I wanted to feel.

"You don't know your favorite position?" he teased. He finished stripping, keeping a condom from his pants pocket, and came to me, sliding his hand into my hair and pulling my face up to his for a deep kiss. "Tell me," he commanded gently as he worked his long, deft fingers against my neck, easing all of the tension.

"From…from behind," I whispered, a hot blush spreading immediately over my face and neck and chest.

"Oh, love, me too," he grinned wickedly.

Without another word, he stood me on my feet and turned me to face my bed. He kissed across my shoulders, sweeping my hair forward out of the way. The kisses continued down my spine and to my butt, where he kissed both cheeks, snaking his tongue out to tease at the sensitive flesh there. He followed the same path back up and then gathered my arms behind me and pushed my shoulders forward until I was bent completely at the waist. I was surprised I could hear him open the condom wrapper over my heavy panting and pounding heart.

"Ready for me?" he asked. One hand was gripping my hip, while he used the other to rub his cock against my entrance.

"Yes!" I pushed back against him, but he moved back an equal amount.

"Are you sure?" he teased.

I groaned, pulling my hands out of his grip and bringing them to my face. He was going to kill me with this stuff.

"I'll take that as a yes." He thrust into me, pulled back and thrust again. The third time, my body opened up to him allowing him to bury himself within me. "Oh god! So tight, so fucking tight!"

After that, he lost his desire to talk and tease and just concentrated on fucking me properly. He grabbed my knee and lifted my leg to prop it on the bed, opening me up even further to his hard, deep thrusts. My legs were about to give out when he finally stopped with a growl of self-denial. He pulled out and repositioned me on all fours, all the way on my bed. His cock was back where it belonged in seconds and then he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me up on my knees, my back to his chest as he continued to thrust powerfully, solely with the strength of his legs and abs. One hand slid between my legs and the other turned my head to kiss me. The combination was bringing me close again, but I held off, knowing that when I did, I would have to collapse. My legs were burning, but my body was singing.

"Mmm, Bella, my god you feel so good!" he began to murmur ceaselessly in my ear, until he finally said, "I'm coming, love!" He wrapped his arms around me, holding me still as he thrust hard up into me with a series of short, deep groans. Instead of collapsing himself, he returned to playing my clit skillfully as he moved slow and sensuously within me.

When I came, a little quieter this time, he eased me down on the bed, sliding out of me. I heard him moving around, disposing of the condom, even as I was drifting off to sleep, thoroughly sated.

I was surprised but not unhappy when he slid back into bed and spooned around me.

**********

Angela was already up and in the kitchen making breakfast when I got up the nest morning. I wondered what time she had come in and whether Ben was with her. I had left Edward sleeping in bed, and now I was wondering the best way to get him out of the apartment with the least embarrassment. It was a wonderful night and I couldn't bring myself to regret it, but a one-night stand was supposed to end the same night, right? To avoid the awkward morning after?

"Morning sunshine! Did you have a nice evening?" Angela chirped. I would have thought she knew something, but that's how she is in the mornings.

"Pretty good," I said vaguely.

"Pretty good?" I heard Edward say behind me. "Ouch."

I was horrified. Even more so when Ben came out of Ang's bedroom with a friendly "good morning". It was one thing to play the part of a brazen slut in the throes of passion, and something else altogether to tough it out in front of witnesses in the glaring light of morning.

"Well," Angela said, "I see you and Edward hit it off!"

"You know him?" I croaked.

"Sure. Edward is Ben's cousin. The one I tried to set you up with like six different times when he was here visiting?" my crafty roommate grinned wickedly.

"You—you two planned all this? You didn't have an asthma attack last night, did you?"

"We didn't plan _all _of this," Ben interjected with a grin, wrapping his arm around Angela's waist.

"But we knew you would like each other and we also knew that you hate Valentine's Day almost as much as you hate blind dates, so we made it easy on you," Angela shrugged. "I sent Edward over to rescue you from Mike."

"He's relocating here from Chicago and he's going to move in with me, so I'm sure we'll all be seeing a lot of each other."

I turned to look at Edward. He stood in the entryway to the kitchen, hands on his hips, feet spread wide as he rocked on his heels, wearing nothing but his pants from last night and big grin.

Cupid, that fat baby bastard, better stay out of my way until I decided whether to kiss him or kill him.

**Author WndrngY**


	12. Best Valentine's Day to Remember

**A/N:****So this is my first one-shot apart of Breath-of-Twilight's countdown. I'm very excited to know what you think about my story. Review or pm me with whatever comments you have. **

**Here are two details you need to know. **

**Status: All human.**

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**Title**:

**~X Best Valentine's Day to Remember X~**

Okay, so she's had a pretty decent life. She grew up in a small town in Forks, Washington, but when her parents divorced she chose to go with her mother and move to Phoenix, Arizona. Her mother needed her more. During her junior year of high school her mom, Renee, got remarried to this guy named Phil Dwyer. Renee was happy, yet still unhappy. Since Phil was a baseball player he had to travel a lot. Her mother couldn't go with him since Renee would have to stay with Bella. So, to give the new married couple some time with each other, without having to deal with a teenager, Bella decided to make some changes. The decision was made, she was moving back to Forks, and she'd spend her last two years of high school with her dad.

Don't get her wrong, it was nice. She truly loved her dad and she knew he loved her, but they're just not the type of people to spend their time together. Since she hasn't been back to Forks since she was about 12, what could her and her father possibly have in common? They weren't even the type to be overly affectionate towards one another. But they had more of a father/daughter relationship than we used to.

High school was okay. She made a few friends, got good grades and even had a boyfriend. He was her dad's best friend's son, Jacob Black. He was tall, lean and had an amazing body. He reached over 6 feet by the time he was 16. They started off as best friends but then they became something more. He was also her first. But during her senior year, he met a girl name Nessie and apparently they had some amazing chemistry and a connection he couldn't explain. But here's the kicker. He broke up with her on Valentine's Day.

She believes that is what started her hatred for that day. She absolutely despises February 14 every year. Even though she and Jake are back to being best friends and she thinks of Nessie as a little sister, she really hates Valentine's Day.

Now, she's a 24 year old executive assistant at Cullen Industrial Company in Chicago, Illinois. The assistant to Emmett McCarty, nephew of Carlisle Cullen.

~~oo~~

When she had first taken the job she was a little weary of Emmett. He was huge, even huger than Jacob but once he smiled and his dimples come into play you start to feel safer, and now I just think of him as an older big brother that I never wanted; who loves to embarrass me.

Then there's his wife, Rosalie. She's one of my best friends. Blonde, blue eyed and a body I'd die to have. She's like the most beautiful person I know besides Alice, of course. Even though to other people she's a hard ass bitch, but there's more to her than people give her credit for. We were roommates at Northwestern together and have been best friends ever since. Did I forget to mention Rosalie's career? Well, she owns her own business as a mechanic that works on exotic and luxury cars. She's absolutely amazing at what she does for a living. If I'm right, that is another reason Emmett fell in love with her.

Next there's Jasper Cullen. Son of Carlisle and Esme Cullen. He's the quieter one of the group. He has this way of calming any heated situation. But when he talks he has this southern drawl that he got from his college days at University of Texas-Austin. He has this aura, the way he can calm almost any situation when he walks in. He sets you at ease. He's also married to my other best friend, Alice Brandon, now, Cullen.

Alice Cullen is a fashionista. Besides the fact that she's is a shopaholic, she also designs her own clothes called 'Lovely'. It's actually doing really well. She's also one of my best friends. Alice is like a sprite pixie that acts like she's on a month's worth of red bull all year round. She came up to me and told me we were going to be best friends, and she was right. We've been best friends ever since.

I am sitting at my desk, writing the memo Emmett asked me to type to give out during the meeting tomorrow when two shadows block the light. I look up and see Rosalie and Alice standing over my desk. Smiling, I turn around and look at them.

"May I help you?" I ask them, looking between the two smiling women.

"Yes, you can come with us for lunch." Alice informs me.

"Why?" I ask curiously before continuing, "Guys, I really can't. I need to finish the memo for tomorrow. "Knowing it's a lame excuse but I really had no desire to go with my friends to lunch and have them try to either set me up with a guy or be reminded of Alice's party.

Bella Swan deosn't do parties.

"You can finish when you get back. I don't have another appointment at the garage until 2:30. So, grab your purse, I've already talked to your boss and he's letting you go. There's no way for you to get out of this." Rosalie says while glaring at me. Her arms are crossed and she has that no-nonsense tone.

"Fine!" I huff. I save the memo before shutting down the computer. I grab my purse before getting out of my seat and see Emmett standing on the threshold of his office. He's smiles sheepishly at me.

I'm guessing that's his way of saying sorry. I couldn't really blame him. Rose could be a bitch and probably told him he wouldn't be getting any if he didn't let her and Alice do this.

I shake my head. He's definitely wrapped around her finger.

Once all three of us leave the office, we all pile into Rose's red M3 BMW. She definitely has amazing taste.

Once we arrive at this new restaurant called, "L'ecole" and are seated, Alice orders an iced tea, while Rosalie and I decide on strawberry lemonade. After the waiter leaves with our meal order, Alice and Rosalie focus there attention on me.

"What?" I ask them. "Is there something on my face?"

"No, you're fine, Bella." Alice says in a soft voice.

"We had two reasons we wanted to have lunch with you. One, we really haven't seen much of you lately, and second, you need a man." Rosalie says, straight to the point.

I look between my two friends and can tell that they're both serious.

"I don't need a man." I insist. "I am perfectly happy with my life, for your information."

"Bella, you aren't happy. You are settling. You know all four of us care about you. We want you to be happy, like we are." Alice starts with concern in her voice.

"Yeah, Bella, I mean, can you honestly, truly tell Alice and me that you are happy? Truly happy with your life?" Rosalie asks, in that all knowing tone.

I sigh. "I have a career, I have wonderful friends. Why wouldn't I be happy?" I dodge around my friend's questions.

"Bella, Rosalie and I have seen the way you look at our relationships with Emmett and Jasper. Even they have picked up on it." Alice reaches over the table and places her hand over mine. "We see how much you yearn for that connection with someone special. Why can't you admit that?" Alice asks.

"What do you want me to say? That, yes, I want to have what you guys have. That I want to have a husband I can come home to after a long day of work. One who sends me flowers for no reason. Who plans something romantic just because he wants to see a smile on my face? Why wouldn't I want a man like that? But _that _is just a fantasy. I live in _reality_." I tell them. "I've come to peace that I will probably never have that or even something anywhere close as to what you share with your husbands."

"Bella, I'm throwing a Valentine's Day party at my place this weekend. I want you to come and I think that you'll find your other half." Alice insists. Alice speaks with so much know how that she believes that I will find my other half.

I laugh. "Alice, you know how I feel about that retched day. I don't know why you insist on my coming to a party to celebrate a day that I loathe."

"Bella, what's so wrong about Valentine's Day? Yeah, you've had some bad attempts but that shouldn't mean you have to dislike it." Rosalie tries to reason with a frown on her face.

"Rosalie, let's recap about these experiences. My first boyfriend dumped me for another girl in college. I walked in on James cheating on me. Last year, I even went on a date with this guy named Eric who couldn't even survive a scary movie. Now, what do all these have in common?" I ask my friends who open their mouths but I answer before they can talk. "They all happened on Valentine's Day. So maybe I'm just destined to be alone. The fifth wheel in our group."

"Bella!" Rosalie snaps. "You are not destined to be alone. You are an amazing woman and sorry to say this but James was an asshole and a sadistic jackass. You deserve better than him. As far as I'm concerned, he did you a big favor. You look at all those failed relationships and the day it happened as a sign that you are going to end up alone. That's not true."

"Rosalie's right, Bella. You are funny and beautiful despite what you think, embarrass easy and you have two best friends who just want what's best for you." Alice looks at Rose before she continues, "You are using all these events as an excuse because you think it's your fault. You're scared. It wasn't your fault Jake broke up with you, it wasn't your fault James cheated and Eric, don't get me started on that weak little man." Alice fumes. If she was a cartoon she'd have smoke coming out of her ears from being pissed.

"So, you want me to give Valentine's Day another chance? You want me to put my faith in a day that I hate with my whole being?"

"Yes!" They say in unison.

"Fine, but this is the only chance I'm given the both of you. If you want me to come to your party Alice, I will. I will even give up my free will and let you play Bella Barbie."

"Really? Yay!" Alice jumps up and down in her seat.

"Calm down, pixie." Rosalie tells Alice.

Alice stops jumping and turns to Rosalie, narrowing her eyes. "Your are so lucky, Rosalie Lillian McCarty that we are best friends because I have definitely jumped on lower people for referring to me as "pixie"."

"Yeah, and I've bitch slapped, kicked, kneed and put my foot where it shouldn't be. I'm not scared of you Alice." Rosalie retorts.

"Okay, now that you've gotten my agreement can we please eat because I do have to go back to work?" I informs my two friends. Seeing their waiter coming up with a tray of their food; distracting them from their argument.

When the waiter finishes placing there food on the table, we all forget about all the earlier conversations and just enjoy the time we're spending together.

Rosalie was right; I really did miss spending time with both of these women. I missed hanging around them.

They've all been so busy lately with there respected careers and they don't get to spend time with each other since both are married.

**~x Valentine's Day at Alice's x~**

What did I get herself into? I ask myself as I am sitting in Alice's guest room while Alice is doing my hair while Rosalie was getting ready in the bathroom.

"Explain to me why I'm letting you torture me with hair products for a day I can't stand?" I ask Alice.

"I told you that I have a good feeling about tonight. Besides, you volunteered yourself."

"I know I did. Now, I wish I hadn't given you free reign. What makes you think that_ this_ Valentine's Day is going change the way I feel about this stupid holiday?" I ask.

"I just do. I have this feeling that you will find that other half you've been looking for. It's just a hunch, and you should know by now that my hunches have a way of working out." Alice smiles knowingly.

I think for a second. That is true. Alice does have an uncanny act of predicting certain things. I guess I can put all my faith in Alice. Besides, if tonight doesn't work out I can go back to feeling how I always did.

Before I can say anything else, Rosalie walks out of the bathroom in this fire engine red dress that stops an inch or two above her knee.

"Wow, Rose. You trying to make Emmett's heart stop?" I ask teasingly.

"Well, he better appreciate it because, I won't be able to wear a dress like this for a good eight months." Rosalie says running her finger through her curls but stops abruptly when she realizes what she said. "Damn."

She and Alice both jump up and run over to Rosalie.

"Oh, my, God." Alice exclaims jumping up and down.

"Why didn't you tell us, Rose?" I ask her friend whose eyes are staring at the ground.

"I wanted to tell Emmett first. This was my gift to him." Rosalie says shyly.

I don't think I have ever seen my best friend look this vulnerable in my life. Rosalie was always the hard, bitch. Never demure, or even docile. Once she met Emmett, he broke through all those defenses she put up. And he made her truly happy.

"Rosalie, you don't have to be afraid. Emmett is like a big kid himself. He'll probably throw you over his shoulder and go somewhere where you can be alone." I reassured Rose.

"You're right. I don't know why I'm getting all emotional and shit."

"They're called hormones." Alice chimes in.

"Okay, let's get past me being emotional and finish Bella up so we can get this party started." Rosalie joked.

We al laugh and go back to playing 'Bella Barbie'. Once Alice is done with my hair she thrust me into the bathroom with my outfit and underwear. It's a cute light pink lace bra and thong panties. I step out of the bathroom wearing the blue dress knit top, a pair of black skinny jeans, and a pair of black heels. Rosalie does my makeup and gives me smoky eyes and light blush.

When there done with everything, we make our way downstairs to the party that seems to have already started. Alice and Rosalie go off to find their husbands while I walk around the living room to see who's there.

I spot Angela and Ben sitting on one of Jasper and Alice's couches. I walk over and start talking to both of them. Starting to feel more relaxed, until Angela points to Mike Newton walking towards us.

Mike Newton is one of the accountants working at Cullen, Inc. He has blond hair and baby blue eyes, and he's slightly attractive, but he's like a puppy that never goes away.

Bella jumps up and acts like she doesn't see him and makes her way towards the kitchen. When I walk in I stop as I crush against something hard. I start to fall and close my eyes as I wait on the impact but nothing happens. I open my eyes and meets the greenest eyes I've ever seen. I gasp as my mind finally registers these strangers hands wrapped around my waist.

"Whoa!" I mutter as the stranger brings me back to a standing position. I look behind me and sees Mike Newton making his way to the kitchen. I turn back to the mysterious stranger.

"I know you just saved me from falling and everything, but can I ask you something?" I whisper.

"Yes." His velvet voice answers.

"Kiss me?" I ask.

He stares at me for a few moments, not saying anything. The next thing he did shocked me. He hauled me against him and angled my head as he took in a fierce kiss. My eyes closed as her lips parted the second his lips touched mine. He took his time tasting her, exploring every crevice of her mouth. When breathing was becoming necessary he pulled back.

I almost whined in protest but stopped myself. When I opened my eyes, my gaze met his and the green that I once saw was darker now. I didn't even care if Mike was standing behind me right this moment, because the only thing that mattered was this bronze haired Adonis. I never felt so attracted to someone this fiercely before. Never felt an electric filled bubble surrounding me. Not with any man.

"Edward." His voice brings me out of her trance.

"Huh?" I ask confused.

"My name is Edward. Yours?" He smiles. He has a unique smile. It's crooked.

"I'm Bella. Just Bella." I say flustered.

"Bella, beautiful Bella." He whispers. I feel a shiver run down my body, but not because of the cold. I had a feeling it was because of the man in front of me.

"Oh. So um, about that kiss." I stutter. "Thank you. I was trying to avoid this guy." I blush embarrassed by my truthfulness. I see he still has his arms wrapped around my waist. I can feel his warmth through her top.

"Well, if you ever need to use me to keep guys off you than I'm a willing participant." I stare up at him and sees lust and want staring back at me.

"Ok, this is going to be something new for me to say because I've never felt so connected toward anyone in my life. But I want you. I want you now." I tell him boldly.

He removes his arms from around my waist and takes my hand. He turns and I follow as he walks down the hall to one of Alice's guest rooms. Once inside I walk over to the bed. I unzip my jeans before I stick my thumbs in the waist band of my jeans. I peel them over my hips, butt and down my legs in one move, taking my panties with them. Then whipped my top over my head and unclasped my bra. When I was naked I walked, moved closer to him, pressing myself into him.

He was still for a moment, before he walked me back to the bed. Once I lay back on the bed, he turned his face into my neck and opened his mouth and began to kiss me. He slid both hands up the sides if my body until they were splayed wide just beneath my breasts. He held me that way for a few long seconds as he made a leisurely survey of the side of my neck with his mouth and tongue. Sensation spread out in my belly, warm and liquid.

He slid his hands up my breast and began to massage them, his fingers playing with my nipples, his palms cupping my weight. I closed my eyes and groaned low in my throat, spreading my legs beneath him so that he nestled more securely into the cradle of my thighs. The scrape of his jeans against my naked skin was highly erotic, and I circle my hips, savoring the friction, reveling in the feel of his erection pressing against me through the denim. Slowly he trailed open-mouth kissed up my neck, and my whole body shuddered as he slid his tongue into my ear. I moaned, my back arching.

As he dragged his mouth from my ear, I opened my mouth in anticipation as his mouth finally found mine. His tongue slid inside and I stroked it with my own, desire rippling through my body in powerful, building waves.

One of his hands moved from my breast to cup my butt. Lifting me, he silently encouraged me closer to him. I willingly pressed myself against him, our thighs wide, my body quivering.

"You are unbelievable." Edward whispered into my mouth. "You make me so hot."

I reached for the top of his shirt and started to unbutton the buttons but I found myself getting too impatient and I tugged hard, popping the rest of the buttons off the shirt. He broke our kiss for a few torturous seconds to shrug the shirt off entirely. Then his naked skin was against mine. I raked my hands down his back and opened my mouth wide to his invading kisses.

When had kissing someone ever been so intense, so amazing, so all-encompassing? I felt as though my bones had melted, as though everything inside me had become one big liquid ache. Edward ended our kiss and rolled to one side. I lay with my eyes half-closed, listening to the sound of denim sliding over skin, my breathing becoming more and shallower as I anticipated what happens next.

"Come here," he murmured. He reached out to draw me close again. I smoothed my hand down his beautifully sculpted chest tracing the planes and muscles. Rolling on top of me, he nestled his thighs and I guided his hardness to my softness. I rubbed myself against him, back and forth, back and forth, a torturous, silken, slippery tease.

"Edward." I said in a pleading tone.

Edward pulled away from me and reached into his wallet and found the foil packet.

Watching him touch himself, stroking the latex on was one of the biggest turn-on's of my life. He definitely was bigger than the guys I'd been with. He stared down at me, his gaze smoky as he took in my form laying on the bed. Taking himself in hand, he positioned himself at my entrance, then lifted his gaze to mine and slowly flexed his hips.

I wanted to close my eyes and enjoy the first delicious stretch of him as he slid inside me, but his eyes compelled me to watch him, to share the moment. I bit my lip as he slowly buried himself to the hilt. I can't ever remember being so filled.

"You're so tight," he said, his voice low, his eyes closing as he felt me embrace him.

I tilted my hips and wrapped my legs around him and reveled in being so utterly, completely filled. He began to move, his big cock so hard, so right inside of me. He kept his pace slow building the friction between us, his stroks firm and knowing. I rode with him, matching my rhythm with his, desire coiling tighter and tighter inside me.

"Edward," I moaned. "Fuck, please. Faster."

"You like it when I'm inside of you, Bella?" He lowered his mouth to my breast, his touch more demanding now, his mouth suckling, his teeth nipping, his hands shaping me.

"Yes, don't stop." It was exactly what I wanted. What I needed.

He lifted his pace, pounding into me now, the exquisite friction between us building, building…I threw my head back, my whole body was trembling with tension as I felt my desire climb higher. And then I was shuddering around him, my hands clutching at him, my inner muscles pulsating, my breath coming in short, desperate pants as I came and came and came.

He slowed his strokes as my climax dissipated, withdrawing until he'd almost left me entirely before slowly plunging all the way back inside. I murmured my appreciation rocking against him, my body warm and loose and damp.

Shifting himself higher, he changed the angle of his strokes and slid a finger over and over her clit. I started to moan. I began to buck. He ground himself into me, and drove into me. His whole body tensed as he climaxed, and beneath him I tensed as I came for a second time.

After a few minutes, he rolled over and walked over to the trash to dispose of the condom. When he came back into the room, he found me exactly as he left me. He came back to bed and rolled me on my side so that we were face to face.

"Alice was right?" I say quietly.

"Alice? You know, Alice?" Edward asks.

"Yes, she's my best friend. How do you know, Alice?"

"She's my cousin. I'm moving back to Chicago and she invited me to her party saying that I would find what I was looking for." His gaze met mine. "I think she was right."

"You know I had given up on this whole holiday. Alice convinced me that I would find my other half. I didn't believe her but I think I'm starting to."

"Well, I'm glad. So after today do you think you'd want to go on a date with me?" He asks and I can see the unsure look on his face.

I smile. "I'd love to go on a date with you."

He brought his mouth on mine again and we began round two.

Alice was right. This definitely was my best Valentine's Day ever and hopefully where Edward is concerned many more Valentine's Day spent together.

Best Valentine's Day to Remember!

**Author: BellaRosa17**


	13. Ignornace Isn't Blissful

**Hey all, its IrunwithCullens316(lame name, I know ; D), or as you may come to know me, Alexandra. Here is my oneshot for the fabulous Breath-of-Twilight's Countdown to Valentine's Day Collaboration. Hope you enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: Do not own the Twilight Saga, Nordstroms, P.F Chang's, or any songs I may choose to---ahem---borrow. **

**Damn. ; P **

**Titled: Ignorance Isn't Blissful **

**BPOV **

~~Sunday~~

"So, basically, the tour will start right after the three of you graduate."

I stared up at my---our---manager, Aro Volturi, who was currently in the process of explaining our lives from here on out.

Aro began speaking, "The official start date is May thirtieth, in San Francisco. You will need to fly out at least a week before to learn choreography and such, and then to get used to the feel of the particular stage you'll be performing on." He inclined his head in understanding towards where Jasper sat on my left, as this was one of his few requests for our first official tour. "I'll have Gianna set up the plane arrangements. We still have a little while to go. It is only February, after all."

I felt Rose grab my hand under the arm of the luxurious mahogany chair I was sitting in, so I extended my left hand under the arm of Jazz's chair, which he promptly grabbed. This was it. We were finally making it big. I, Isabella Marie Swan, was going to be famous.

That thought in itself was enough to make me queasy.

Luckily, I wasn't going at it alone. At the tender age of twelve, I bumped into the twins on either side of me. Bumped might be an understatement. My mother had taken me to the grocery store while my Police Chief father was at work one Saturday. We had been in the soup aisle, I remember, and she had asked me to walk not five feet ahead and grab a particular flavor. Being the clumsy child I was, and still am, I tripped on air and crashed into not only the shelf, but two blonde children who were standing a tad too close.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Rosalie and Jasper Hale became the second (and third) most important aspects of my life after that fateful day. They had been new to the dismal town of Forks; moved up from Texas with their mother, Crystal, after their parents divorced. Both had the tanned, blonde hair, blue eyed, southern drawl thing going for them, and I took to them immediately whilst the man who was like a father to me patched us up. We learned, quickly, how much we had in common musically. Rosalie played the drums and bass; Jasper, the guitar, piano, and even some instruments I hadn't heard of at the time. I sang and played guitar. The three of us formed a band. Now, six years later, we somehow had a recording contract.

Aro Volturi, our manager, noticed us at a gig in Port Angeles, a town one hour north of Forks, two years ago. We had been performing in a little run-down blues cafe. I, the lead singer, had just gotten over losing my voice, and Jasper had broken a few fingers a while before in fight with one of my many suitors in the locker room, yet, Aro still loved us. We signed a deal after he heard our demo for three CD's and two tours. Our dream come true.

"Bella? Bella, you there?" came from behind me.

I jumped out of the chair and spun around to face a lone Rosalie waiting behind for me.

"Yeah, let's go home."

Jasper was waiting outside of the building's front doors. Rosalie had the valet ticket, so he couldn't walk to the car. Her cherry-red M3 pulled up soon after she bent and flashed her tits at the pubescent teenage boy retrieving the cars, and we all promptly hopped in and began the hour long journey home.

~~Monday~~

"Oh my God, Bella! Aaah, I'm so excited!" Rosalie squealed.

I groggily rose from where I was laying on my bed by the window and belted out a response to her uncharacteristic glee, "Rose! Too early for Barbie Bella! Go away!"

"Oh, Bella, you know you love it." Another voice teased. Oh God, Alice Cullen has arrived. Run for the hills. Secretly, I loved looking pretty for all the kids at our mundane high school.

A big fat, yeah right, Alice.

"Seriously, Bella. Get up. Now." Alice's voice was closer, and I opened one big, brown, blurry eye to glare halfheartedly at her elf-like form, clad in designer clothing.

I had met the over-exuberant pixie known as Alice Cullen in my freshman English class four years ago. Alice, the lovable person she is, complimented my top, then yelled at me because it didn't go with my shoes or my hair. We became best friends after that, and to this day people still kind of looked at me weird because I was friends with the only two new families in a decade. Alice grew up to become the perfect Yin to Jasper's Yang. He finally had the balls to ask her out junior year, and they've been going strong ever since. Him, the soulful guitarist, and her, his own personal stylist.

"Why do I need to get up, Alice?" I tested.

"Because today is the day everyone will know that the four of us are getting out of this podunk town!" She all but shouted, "We all have to look perfect! Come on, I even dressed Jazz before I came here! Please let us make you look even better than you normally do?"

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this," I muttered.

"What was that?" Rose smirked from my doorway.

"I said, 'I have a feeling I'm going to look fabulous!'"

"Nice save, Bella. Get over here," Alice gestured to the expensive marble vanity she bought and nailed to the floor on my sixteenth birthday, filled with every kind of beauty product that could possibly compliment my 'facial tones.'

"Coming, coming," I muttered.

"So. . . ." Alice trailed off.

"What. . . ." I mimicked.

"Alright, but before you say no just hear me out, okay?" Alice and Rosalie were both biting their lips with pleading looks in their eyes, "Okay. So, as I'm sure you know Valentine's Day is this Friday."

Yes, I did know, but that didn't mean I had to acknowledge the most dreaded of all Hallmark Holidays, invented just to remind me of how lonely I was in a world full of near perfect couples, but I nodded anyway in Alice's direction.

"Alright, I know how much you say you absolutely hate Valentine's Day and anything to do with it, which I don't even get. It's a positively wonderful holiday. . ." Alice trailed off and looked up with a dreamy look on her face. I could almost see the little cupids flying around her head.

"Alice!" Rose barked. "Snap out of it and continue!"

Aaah, she of little patience.

"Oh right, sorry." She sent a sheepish smile in Rose's direction, " 'causewe'."

"Huh?" I asked eloquently.

"Deep breaths, Alice," Rose reminded.

"Okay, here it is slower: In order to get you out of your shell and lose some inhibitions before we go on tour, Rose and I are having a Valentine's Day Party this Friday, and you are the third co-host that doesn't have to do anything because we've already done things like the invitations which we are handing out today at school."

"Party?" I voiced meekly.

I hated parties of pretty much all kinds. My overly pessimistic teenage psyche felt that they were just a chance for other, non-pessimistic gits to get drunk and/or laid. Not fun at all to me. I was clumsy enough, did Alice and Rose really expect me to wear their ridiculous stilettos and dance, erm, excuse me, grind, up against some random guy, celebrating the holiday I abhorred most of all?

"And," Rose continued, "We expect you to be there, looking all dolled up, and enjoying this magnificent holiday."

Mindful of the tube of liquid eyeliner Alice was holding, I whipped my gaze up to meet Rose's in the mirror. This was not happening. Not Rosalie. Rosalie Hale wasn't sweet. Or sappy. And she most definitely did not say magnificent. Rose had gone through a tough time when it was just the three of us in middle school. Her mother had met this guy, Royce. His aging father had just passed down the ownership of Forks National Bank to Royce, and he'd promised Rose's mother the world. Their relationship went downhill after that. He had never done anything about it, but he expressed some interest in Rosalie, and it had hardened Rose's outlook on guys.

Yet, here she was now, all sugar and spice and everything nice. Bubbles, the Power Puff Girl, incarnate.

Her voice was soft and her eyes downcast when she spoke, "Emmett asked me out." A faint blush spread across her tanned cheeks.

I expected a yelp and a black mark across my forehead due to Alice's excitement that her much larger twin brother finally grew a pair and asked out the object of his four-year long obsession, but Alice remained surprisingly calm.

I turned my suspicious eyes to Alice's tawny ones in the mirror, smirking slightly.

"Why do you think I gave in to planning a party one week before it was scheduled to happen?" she asked innocently.

I rolled my eyes, but responded anyway, "That's great, Rose. Emmett has always been such a good guy. I'm just glad you two finally realized you two were perfect for each other."

By this time we were heading out my front door and towards Alice's ostentatious yellow Porsche. Personally, I hated the jumpy little bumblebee of a car; preferring something much less showy, such as my Chevy. Constantly I had to remind myself that Alice never did anything halfway.

Alice, of course, skipped to the driver's side while Rosalie took the passenger seat. Being the smaller between the two of us it was a given that, whenever Alice drove, I got the back.

My outfit today was simpler than I'd expected. Dark skinny jeans tucked into caramel suede cowboy boots; a sleeveless, slightly faded and oversized band t-shirt; and a tight, black, long-sleeve shirt under it. My hair was in some sort of half up, half down style, and I had silver and black bangles running up one arm. A silver necklace and rhinestone studded hair clip completed the look. Alice had once again made simple look sexy; the exact reason she was our band's official stylist.

That and she let me wear my fuzzy socks whenever I wore her ridiculous boots.

"Oh, Bella. Silly, naïve little Bella," Rose shook her head. "Emmett and I are not the only ones here in denial."

I threw a dry glare her way, "This again, guys?"

"Bella," Alice interjected, "How many times do we have to try and get this through that thick skull of yours?!"

"Five million, twenty-five hundred, and two?" I posed.

"Ha," Rose barked, "we passed that number months ago."

"Why do you two insist that _he_ is in love with me?" As we stopped the Porsche in the car park, I pointed towards the object of their incessant nagging. Across the lot, a shiny new silver Volvo pulled into the spot next to a massive jeep. Emmett the Massive stepped out of the driver's side of the jeep, while Jasper the Lanky rose slowly from the Volvo's passenger side. Both of the guys were good-looking in their own right, very, very good-looking, but neither had anything on the owner of the mop of unruly reddish-brown hair stepping out of that sexy silver Volvo.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Edward 'fucking' Cullen has arrived.

Edward, of course, was wearing his signature leather jacket, tight t-shirt, and his Cullen family crest. Jasper and Edward met Emmett at the jeep, where they then proceeded towards the front of the school. Not a step did they take without getting a wave, giggle, or slap on the back. Yes, those three boys ruled the school. Neither Jasper nor Edward used the power for their advantage, but Emmett was known to be quite the All-star.

The town's version of this story is this: Dr. Carlisle 'Fuckhot' and Mrs. Esme 'Pleasedropthepanties' Cullen moved here four years ago to be closer to Esme's sister, Elizabeth Masen, and her husband and son. When Elizabeth and Edward, Sr., died in a tragic car accident on the way home from Seattle, the goodly doctor and company were kind enough to take in the Masen couple's young son, who was the age of their twin children. Now, four years later, all live a happy and lucrative life. The end. That was how those, such as Jessica 'hoebag' Stanley or Lauren 'Skankyface' Mallory, believed Edward to be. His parents died, but he's hot and over it, so let's make a move on him. No. Thanks to Alice, our resident gossip monger and his adoptive sister, Rose and I knew the real Edward Cullen.

Carlisle and Esme were the sweetest people you would ever meet. Being a Neurosurgeon did not deter Carlisle in his efforts to have a happy home. By freshman year, life in Chicago was becoming too much for his dearest Esme, and his children were begging to get away from the kids who were only their friends for money. The family decided to move to small town Forks to be closer to family and get away from the big city for awhile. About a month after the Cullen's had settled in Forks, Edward's parents died when a drunk driver hit their car in Seattle. Carlisle and Esme adopted him. He still misses his parents, obviously, but Edward is a happy kid, living the perfect life.

Sure, the only reason I even know this version of the story is because Alice and Emmett are two of my best friends, but hey, I was never one to linger on the inconsequential details.

Because of the fact that Alice and Emmett are two of my best friends, you can often find me over at the Cullen's house just outside of town. Theirs, being the unspoken largest, is where the five of us hang out after school and on the weekends. Alice's shopping mall of a closet is there as well, so whenever we get ready for a gig, we head to Alice's to be dressed. Unfortunately—or luckily, I can't decide—Edward doesn't ever hang out with us when I'm there. Herein lies the root of why I cannot believe Alice and Rose's tale of Edward's epic infatuation with me.

Edward Cullen avoids Isabella Swan like the plague.

I know for a fact that I'm the only reason he hardly ever hangs out with the five of us. Rose sometimes comes to school on a Monday, pissed off at Edward for one reason or another, only to have me ask why, and her reply something like, "Oh, you just should have been there Sunday night. Edward hung with us, and I simply cannot stand it when he. . ."

She then proceeds to trail off and look guiltily at me because she was there with him when I wasn't.

It's not as if I have a problem with Edward. I have a few classes with him, and he's my Biology partner in some weird twist of fate. Edward is actually super nice, and sweet, and smart, and caring, and, oh God, I sound like Jessica Stanley so I better stop soon. He's a little quiet at times, but the silence is nice, and a huge change from his sister's, for all intents and purposes, demeanor. I can see being friends with him again. Before Rose and Jasper came along, Edward was one of my few friends in elementary and middle school. I can remember sitting with him at lunch while he defended my honor from those scumbags like Mike Newton who always stole my Debbie Cakes. Edward had been my knight in shining armor until I met Rose and Jasper. Once we started to hang with different people, Edward and I had drifted apart, and I always felt we remained on good terms until Rose or Jazz came in with another "you just had to be there" story.

Now, Edward is a taboo subject around me, but that doesn't stop Alice and Rose from trying to convince me that he's in love with me. I swear, sometimes I just want to go and get "it" over with so I can have my 'I told you so' moment. Maybe then they'll leave it alone.

I doubt it, though.

My Trig teacher called the class to order. Today was a lecture day; infinitesimally better than a test day, but the subject still made me want to claw my eyes out. As Mr. Varner droned on, I lost myself in a fantasy world where Edward still enjoyed my company.

~~Tuesday~~

"So, Bella. I heard you landed the job at Empire, down in Port Angeles," Lauren smirked.

"Empire?" I questioned.

"Yeah, you know, Empire… the, ahem, gentlemen's club on Fifth Street?" Jessica interjected.

They think I work at a strip club now? Okay, "Oh yeah. I heard from the manager on Sunday," I droned in a sardonic voice, "I'm totally a shoe-in for the job. I cannot wait. I would have called you two, 'cause I know how much you love wearing skanky clothes, but then I remembered you dress like that for free, so I figured I'd keep the cash for myself."

"Ut oh! Bitch-fight between Stanley, Mallory and Swan. Come on ladies! Wait till' Mike gets here with the gold bikinis and pudding!" I turned and rolled my eyes at a lusty Tyler Crowley. Boys whooped and hollered as I walked away, and I could almost feel the floor vibrating with the force between Jessica and Lauren's combined shrieking. I snorted.

Banshee whores.

"What was all that screaming about back there, Swan?" I whipped my head up to glare at none other than Edward Cullen. His lanky form towered over mine by about eight inches, and I found myself subtly shifting towards him, anxious about whatever he had to say to me. As far as I knew, the Edward and Bella don't talk clause was still in place, so why was I straining to hear his velvet accent?

Wait! Back up the truck. Velvet is not an accent. What the hell am I thinking? God, I knew skipping breakfast today wasn't a good idea.

"Bella? Hey, you still with us?" I blinked only to find Edward now crouched to eye level with me, waving his hand in front of my face.

"Pupils not dilated," he muttered.

"Huh?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes, any sign of concern on his face gone, "I said, your pupils aren't dilated, so you don't have a concussion. Always a good thing."

I glared dryly at him and elbowed his side, "Thanks for the prognosis, Dr. Cullen. I feel much better now."

"Happy to help," he grinned.

"Now, what was the original question?" I asked.

"Oh, um, what was with all the screaming behind you?"

"Oh. Well, 'hoebag' and 'skankyface' decided they wanted to embarrass me in the hallway by asking if I had landed the open position at that strip club in Port Angeles, so some things were said and I may have implied that they were prostitutes, but don't fret, dearest Edward, all is well in Bellatropolis," I turned to grin at him, but the grin slipped off my face when I realized how close his face was. Dear Lord, did my breath just catch in my throat?

Edward immediately burst out laughing. "Wait, 'hoebag' and 'skankyface'?" he questioned.

I turned much slower this time to find that Edward had moved his face away from mine, so I could safely grin and reply, "Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory."

He nodded slowly, "Makes sense."

"Yup, Emmett thought so too." I replied as we arrived at our Biology table.

~~Wednesday~~

"Bella, Bella, Bella! We have to go shopping today! My party is in two freakin' days and we still don't have dresses! Ah!" Alice screeched as we walked towards Rosalie's ostentatious BMW M3. Rose nodded her agreement from my other side. I realized then that they had both made a point to meet me at the end of Gym today, then started talking about random subjects before they dropped the bomb. And, oh God, I was trapped in between. No way of escape.

"Crap," I squeaked.

Rose grabbed onto my arm and forced me into her car. "We knew you would try and escape, Bella, and I know you're realizing that we planned to ambush you, so just go along with it," she released my arm and her menacing expression simultaneously as she switched to a grin, "It'll be fun!"

Yeah. Sure, Rose.

Rose's sparkly red iPhone began vibrating inside her purse. "Ali?" she said, "could you please grab that?"

Alice had already picked up the phone, "Yes, Em. Uh-huh. Yeah. Seattle. . . No, we will not visit La Perla. . . Or Victoria's Secret. . .Maybe Frederick's. . .Yeah, sure. I promise. . .I'm dictating where we are shopping. They finally built a Nordstroms, but Rose won't believe me until she sees it. . .Yes, she's definitely wearing red. It's Valentine's Day, and red's her color, how could she pass this up? No, you can't see what she buys until Friday. . .Yeah, you too. Bye." She hung up the phone and sighed dramatically in Rose's direction. "God, he asks too many questions about you, Rose."

"Aw, Rose and Emmett, sitting in a tree, K-I-S---"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Bella, or you will end up in snakeskin platform pumps Friday," Rose threatened.

"S-I-N-G," I muttered quickly.

Rosalie turned back to Alice with a satisfied smile on her face.

"So, the guys are going to meet us at the food court in the mall, we'll eat, go to Nordstroms. Emmett made me promise to let him go to some kind of lingerie store with us, and I need some underwear, so I figure we'll make a quick stop at Frederick's of Hollywood, Bella's favorite store," Alice teased.

"Gees," I mumbled, "You say that they have nice bras once and now you're the butt of all jokes."

"They sell underwear, too, Bella." Alice joked. "Then you really would be the _butt_ of our jokes."

"Ha ha, clever, Alice," I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Anyway, back to the shopping," Rose reminded us. "I feel as if we should treat our purchases with the utmost care, so I will not be revealing my dress to Emmett till Friday. I'm assuming you told him on the phone that he couldn't come dress shopping with us, and he was obviously fine with that."

"Yeah," Alice responded. "Edward and Jazz want to go to some lame music store down at the other end of the mall, so we should be good."

"Wait! Edward and Jazz wanna check out a music store, as in Edward is coming too?" I poked my head in between Alice and Rose's seats.

"Yes, Bella," Alice chided as if to a small child, "my brother is coming shopping with us. His sexy, soccer-mom car is right behind us."

I whirled my head around so fast that I'm surprised I didn't get whiplash to stare out the small window. This was Rose's baby, so of course the windows were tinted in the 'see out but can't see in' kind of way, which made me feel marginally less embarrassed about my blatant ogling of the car behind us.

I couldn't see much, as his car might have well been Rose's second child, the way she worked on that thing. From what I could tell by the outline in the driver's seat, Edward was either laughing his head off or sobbing uncontrollably. I went with the former. Jasper sat in the passenger seat, also laughing. Emmett was gesturing dramatically from the back. I snuck one last withering glance at the driver's seat--- surprising the hell out of myself, I might add---and slowly turned back around.

Alice had turned as well, smirking at my behavior. I could feel Rose's eyes on me in the mirror. Blushing profusely, [K1] I dismissed the matter with a simple, "Just wanted to check if it was them."

"Uh-yeah-sure, Bella." Rose spit out between bursts of laughter.

"Bella," Alice began slowly. "Has your opinion of my brother changed at all?"

"My opinion of your brother? Elaborate, please?"

"How do you feel about him? Is he nice? Sweet and caring? Does he still seem like a flaky parasite to you?" Rose laughed.

Oh God, "This again, guys?" I sighed.

"Bella," Alice said. "We're not going to try to set you up with him anymore. Rose and I talked about it, and we realized that if it's meant to happen, it will eventually happen. We're not going to go running off to Edward if you were to admit sudden feelings of the romantic persuasion towards him. But know, Bella, that even though Edward is my brother, I'm always gonna be on your side, just like Rose. We just want you to be happy. Does that make sense?"

I nodded gratefully, "Yeah, I know that guys. Thanks for considering my point of view on this. If Edward loves me like you two say he does, it will happen. We've just gotta wait for it."

"Oh! I didn't hear any reluctance towards the subject! Does this mean what I think it finally means?!?!" Alice squealed.

I blushed and ducked my head, "Guys," I mumbled. "I'm not in love with Edward or anything, calm down, but these past two days have changed my opinion of him. I accept the fact that our old friendship might have been clouding my judgment. The fact that we drifted apart in high school and made new friends doesn't mean that Edward isn't still the sweet, caring, and considerate guy he used to be. For all I know, he may just always make plans when I don't have plans. I'm not going to judge him for that. As of today, Edward is starting over with a clean slate."

Alice and Rose both turned around and screamed. The sound wasn't the only scary thing; Rosalie was also driving.

"Rose! Eyes on the road, you're about to miss the turn!" I shouted.

Rose whipped around just in time to turn into the mall's parking lot, "Come on," she said as we got out. "Where are we eating, Ali-cat?"

Alice scowled at Rosalie's pet name for her, but pointed anyway to P.F. Chang's flashing sign.

"Mmm, Chinese food." I rubbed my stomach and walked in. Like the gentlemen they were, Jazz, Em, and Edward all stood up the second we entered.

"Come on," Edward said from somewhere next to me. "I already got us a table." I allowed the sexy man to drag me away, instinctively knowing, somehow, that he wouldn't hurt me. Plus, my surrogate big brothers were behind us. Edward couldn't try anything.

A girl walked up before we even got a chance to sit down. It was abundantly obvious that she wasn't a true blonde, and her over tanned skin had a slight orange glow about it. The only thing that didn't scream 'Paris Hilton wannabe' was a small black tattoo buried in her abundant cleavage. Classy.

"Hi. My name is Mikayla! I'll be your server on this fine night. What can I get you?" She looked towards Emmett.

"I'll have the Beef A La Sichuan and a coke, thanks."

"Asian Shrimp Salad and the Tropical Green Tea," came from Rose.

"Same as her," said Alice.

"I'll have Kung Pao Chicken and a sprite," Jasper said.

"Cantonese Shrimp and a coke," I told her.

"And for you, honey?" She smiled down at Edward.

I watched triumphantly as he subtly shook her claws off his shoulder and announced he would like the same as me. The waitress walked away in a huff.

"What was that, Eddie-boy? No fine blondes for you tonight?" Emmett bellowed.

Edward glared dryly at Emmett before replying, "Of course not, Em. You of all people should know that the waitress only wants to get in my pants, for lack of a better phrase. I wouldn't dare touch that." he smirked. "I prefer brunettes."

My head snapped up to look at Edward in shock. He grinned impishly as I noticed how close our chairs had suddenly become. If he could just lean down, just a little bit. . . Woah woah, Bella. Just because you've decided that Edward is innocent until proven guilty in your mind, does not mean that it's okay for you to ogle him and wish that he would kiss you.

Oh, who am I kidding?

"Here's your food," the waitress grumbled as she dumped my shrimp dish on the table. Bless her timing! She sauntered the two steps it took to set Edward's meal in front of him and leaned down slowly, an ample amount of something I definitely did not want to see practically falling out of her indiscreet black polo.

"Anything else for you, hon?" She purred.

Edward grimaced slightly and wrapped a muscular arm around my shoulders. He was so warm! And strong. I mean, God, I knew that all of our guys were pretty buff, but Edward just looked so lanky. I glanced up to see that he had removed his leather jacket. The tendons in his forearm flexed in irritation. I gulped.

"I think I've got all I need right here, thanks," he replied.

"Oh well. . . Let me know," she flounced away.

"She's _so_ not getting a tip. That was just rude," Alice muttered.

Edward and I began to talk quietly. It seemed as though everyone at our table was in conversation with their significant other, yet still in conversation with the rest of the group. All of our time together was like this now since Alice and Jasper started going out, maybe even before that. Ali and Jazz, Rose and Em, and now Edward and I. I think I even preferred it this way; separate, yet still part of a singular unit of friends that would never stop being friends. Through thick and thin, I knew that Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett would always be there for me, and now I believed Edward would too, as I would for him. Our once great friendship was coming back to me, for which I was abundantly glad. I remembered that I missed Edward when he wasn't around; I just suppressed it because I had thought there would be no hope of reconciliation. Now that there was, I almost wanted to be around him all the time.

I settled back in my seat once I finished the shrimp. Edward, who had also finished, smiled warmly at me. He looked beautiful, amazing as that is. Boys were just cute, hot, or nothing at all to me. Not Edward, though. In my eyes, Edward would never be anything short of beautiful, inside and out. Somehow, I'd forgotten that these past four years.

"You guys coming?" Jasper asked from across the table. I jumped as I took in their standing figures, coats on already.

"We've been done, for like, ten minutes. Already paid the bill and everything. Let's go!" Emmett shouted the last bit. Ten minutes? Edward and I had been in our own little world, all smiley and happy, not saying a word for ten minutes. We'd just smiled at each other, but I felt like we talked for a lifetime.

Woah.

As we walked out of the restaurant silently, Edward brushed his hand against my own. Something akin to electric shock shot up my arm and warmed my chest. I grinned softly as we entered Nordstrom's and parted ways.

"Oh, my God! Rose! Look at those shoes!" Alice screeched.

In unison, Rosalie and I snapped our gazes to the Steve Madden shoe display. There, sitting on the highest faux-wood pillar, was a very nice pair of red suede pumps. Of course, Rosalie immediately rushed over (as fast as she could in 4 inch heels) and yanked them off the display.

"I love them, Alice! Just look at the roses running up the t-strap! Aah, its fate! Roses on Rose's shoes. I have to buy them. How tall are these?" she addressed the saleswoman walking up to us with a mean scowl on her face.

"Four and a half inches, miss. But," she took the shoes out of Rose's reluctant hands, "they are Steve Madden. Are you sure that you can afford them?"

Oh, no, she didn't.

Rose grinned maliciously, "Does this," she pulled out her ultra-exclusive black Am-ex, "look like I can afford them?"

The woman gulped and ran towards the sales counter.

"Thank you." Rose all but sung as we walked away with her purchase.

"Alright, Rose is wearing red, as she promised Emmett," Alice grinned, "I am wearing pink, most likely. I might settle for something purple, or even white, but pink is my first choice, and Bella will be wearing blue."

"Alice? Blue isn't a Valentiney color," I reminded.

"Oh I know, but Valentine colors don't look as good on your pale skin. It washes you out," she explained.

"We're getting you in a blue dress because blue is your best color. Plus, we would like it if you stood out for once, and wearing a non-Valentine color is just the way to do that." Rose finished.

"Will I have to try on every blue dress in the store this time?" I mumbled.

Alice just smirked and started handing me dresses. After a few minutes, I felt as if my arms were about to fall off, so I casually told Alice that the dress would be in this pile or she would have someone wearing underwear at her party. Luckily, she got the message. Walking towards the dressing room, I saw a beautiful red number. "Hey, Rose?" I called out.

Rosalie walked over with nothing in her arms but her purse and a frustrated look on her face, "Yes, Bella?"

I nodded towards the red dress, "See anything you like?"

I could tell that this was Rosalie's dress. Her entire face was lit up as her eyes raked over the sweetheart neckline, full skirt, and satiny fabric. She lingered at the black satin bow and walked forward to turn the dress over. The bow continued and tied in a soft, elegant style at the back. "I love it," she breathed. "Be right back." She yelled as she grabbed the dress and ran to the dressing room. Alice and I waited patiently outside the room she went into.

"You look beautiful!" Alice and I chorused when she came into view. The dress ended about mid-thigh and fit Rose perfectly. The color even matched the shoes she bought earlier.

"Good," she replied. "Now go try on a beautiful dress for yourself, Bella. Alice, go get some things. I'll yell if you're not back when she finds the one."

~~Thursday~~

_Xcited 4 the party 2morrow? _

I was once again in Biology. Mr. Banner, our teacher, droned on and on about Mitosis in front of us. As a result, Edward and I were passing notes. We could just text, but there was something I liked about seeing his perfect calligraphy on a note addressed to me.

Plus, my phone was really loud when you turned it on.

To save time, we had been writing in "text talk" or "txt tlk." I didn't understand half of it, but I sure as hell wasn't going to waste time writing out full sentences.

Uh, no. Not really. U? -B

I passed the note back to Edward as soon as Mr. Banner turned to write something on the board. Not expecting to get a reply so soon, I jumped when I felt Edward's hand brush against my arm. Stealthily unfolding the note, I glanced down.

Yup. Very xcited. It's not evryday a beautiful girl comes 2 my house in fancy clothes. I xpect a dance from u, young lady. ; D -E

I blushed as I wrote back. Luckily, or was it unluckily, the bell rang as I passed the note to him, officially ending all classes with my own personal 'Greek God'.

I can't dance, but i'll always save one 4 u, edward. I can't resist anymore. -B

~~Friday~~

"Alice, wow. Just wow. You've outdone yourself again," I said, astonished.

"I know!" she sang.

Tonight's party was to be held in the Cullen's enormous basement. Alice had somehow turned the place into a high-end nightclub in one day. You entered by walking down the grand staircase, amazing all in itself. Seriously, who else do you know with a grand staircase in their basement? White twinkle lights were wrapped around the banister, with a line or two of red run through. A soft, golden spotlight would touch the crown of your head and give you an "angel descending from heaven look" to the awaiting people below.

First impressions were everything nowadays.

Twinkle lights were, literally, everywhere they could be hung. Yet, as everything was with Alice, it came off as tasteful. White lights on the ceiling illuminated the whole room. The dance floor took up the majority of the space. A bar was set up against the wall next to the staircase, mirrored by the DJ's booth on the other side of the room. White couches were in a secluded little parlor off to the side. Two open French doors framed the entrance into the quieter room. Walking in, I noticed that all of the screens were pulled except for the one on the glass roof. If you were to look up, all you would see is stars.

"Beautiful," I breathed.

"Yes, yes you are. I'm glad you're finally seeing it my way." A voice lightly teased behind me.

I spun around to find Edward staring at me intently. "Ooh, a smooth-talker," I joked. "Tell me, what do you mean by 'seeing it my way'?"

A faint pink spread across his cheeks, barely discernable in the dim lighting. "Just the fact that you always seem to compare yourself to other girls, when they have nothing on you, Bella. Anyway, I hear Alice coming for Barbie Bella. I'll see you later." Edward ducked his head and walked out just as Alice came in the small room.

"Let's go, Bells! Time to get ready!" Alice shouted with glee as she dragged me back up the stairs. I turned my head around and caught Edward staring after me next to the DJ booth before we passed out of sight.

"Alice," I whispered once we reached her second floor bedroom.

"Mh-hm?"

"How happy would you be if I said that I was just going to let whatever happens tonight happen?"

She looked up from her vanity and smiled softly, "Pretty ecstatic," she replied.

"Good."

"Come on, girlies! Let's show these bitches what we're made of!" Rose bellowed as she entered the room.

"Geez, Rose. For a second there I thought Emmett might have come up the stairs, not you," I teased.

"Oh, you know you love me," Emmett said as he walked in.

"Em," Alice said sweetly, "Get the hell out of my room."

"Pshaw. Like I want to be in a room where a Pepto Bismal bottle threw up. I'm only in here 'cause Rosie said she needed help carrying you girls' dresses and shoes. So," he said as he tossed the three garment bags on the bed, "I'll be seeing you girls later. Peace out, homie B and A-dawg!"

"Ah, don't you just love him?" Rose giggled.

"Yeah, sure," I smirked.

"C'mere, Bella. I'm on makeup, Rose," she addressed, "you're on hair duty."

Rose immediately grabbed a brush and parted my hair off to the side. Once the curling iron was heated up, she curled the tips of my mahoghany waves slightly before twisting them into a loose chignon at the base of my neck, where she then proceeded to place a rhinestone clip. My long side bangs were curled under my chin with the exception of the longest tendrils of hair that waved next to my diamond studded ears, giving me a brunette Kate Hudson kind of look.

Alice, thankfully, kept my makeup light. Smoky eyes and clear lipgloss that smelled like strawberries. According to her, I didn't need much else.

"Okay, you're done," Alice said as she handed me a garment bag, "go get dressed."

Nodding, I headed to the bathroom. The beautiful, royal blue dress I had picked out two days ago sat on the hanger in the bag. The faux-wrap, sweetheart neckline drew attention to my collarbone, which Rose said was good. An artfully placed bow sat on my hip, a rhinestone clip on top. The hem landed at mid-thigh and---like the rest of the dress---clung to my body. I loved the way the satiny fabric felt on my skin, and both of the girls said it looked beautiful on me, so I bought it and some electric blue peeptoe heels to go with it. I slid on the dress and the heels before fighting with the clasp of the platinum necklace. An angelic butterfly rested at the end of the chain, its pearl and topaz accents glinting in the light.

"Bella? You ready to go down?" Alice asked as she opened the door. She looked stunning in her magenta chiffon dress. A bit of satin poked out from the top of her square bodice and a cluster of pink rhinestones sat on her waist. Her spiky hair was smoothed out at the top where it came down to meet soft waves. The white gold key necklace Jasper gave her matched perfectly with her diamond tennis bracelet and earrings.

"Yeah, let's do this, Ali."

Song playing: Need by Hana Pestle

_I'm not quite sure how to breathe without you here _

_I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to say goodbye _

_to all we were_

The sounds of Hana Pestle's Need wafted up the stairs. The beautiful piano melody washed over us as we descended the staircase and into the black tie event with every eye in the room on us. All I could think was thank God Alice made me take those ballet lessons after she found out we got a contract. I would die if I tripped in front of all these people. My eyes glanced up from the marble under me and directly into the emerald of Edward's.

I'm pretty sure I drooled.

Edward in a tux was breathtaking. Being best friends with the party-planners, I knew that the guys were supposed to wear suits, but somehow my mind hadn't made the connection that Edward would be wearing one. Oh God. The sight was just awe-striking.

_Be with me _

_Stay with me _

_Just for now_

I left Alice and Rose---were they even still standing there?---and floated to Edward.

_Let the time decide _

_When I won't need you _

Without asking permission, Edward's strong arms enclosed around my waist.

_My hand searches for your hand, _

_in a dark room _

_I can't find you _

_Help me _

_Are you looking for me? _

My hands went up and stroked the soft tufts of hair at the base of his neck.

_Can I feel anymore? _

_Lie to me _

_I'm fading_

We'd never done anything like this. Even when we were still friends back in the old days, the most I'd ever done was hug Edward. He'd kiss me on the cheek on birthdays and holidays, but now I found myself wondering if he felt more towards me. Wanted more than just a chaste peck in an innocent spot.

_I can't drop you _

_Tell me _

_I don't need you, oh _

I found that I no longer had the willpower to let go of him. If I let go, we might lose each other in a sea of lonely people. I couldn't let go. I couldn't lose Edward now that I finally got him back.

_My hand searches for your hand _

_in a dark room _

_I can't find you _

_Help me _

_Are you looking for me _

I cried quietly into his shoulder, sure that I was ruining my eye makeup that Alice had been so proud of. They were both right; they were always right. Even when we were apart, I still depended on Edward. Even when I thought I hated him, seeing him every morning somehow made my day just a little bit better.

_Etch this into my brain for me. _

And, oh god, I'd always felt this way; I'd always feel this way. My chest heaved at this realization. Edward had been the most important person in my life for ten years, how could I be so stupid as to forget that?

_Tell me how it's supposed to be _

_Where everything will go _

_And how I'll be without you by my side._

I can't live like this anymore. I have to stop the apathetic lie I have been around him.

_My hand searches for your hand _

_in a dark room _

_I can't find you _

_Help me _

_Are you looking for me? _

_My hand searches for your hand _

_in a dark room _

_I can't find you _

_Help me _

_Are you looking for me?_

I pulled back to stare into Edward's eyes to find them an almost exact mirror of my own. His face came closer to mine, and his lips slowly touched my own.

_La di hee ooh _

And without a word to each other, we raced up the stairs as the last notes of a melancholy piano faded out.

Edward started to pull me towards the back staircase that was a closer path to his room, but I walked purposefully towards the front door. If we were finally going to talk everything out, we needed to be alone. Charlie was supposed to be in Seattle with Renee, on a sort of anniversary trip I planned for them, and I was planning on spending the night here tonight. Alice would understand.

Edward seemed to know where we were going now, so he grabbed his keys off a table by the door. The Volvo glinted in the dark moonlight. Edward opened the passenger door and I got in; the car smelled just like him. Honey and sunlight.

"Charlie's?" he asked.

"Don't you just love how well you know me?" I teased.

"That's not the only thing I love, Bella." he whispered.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," he finished.

I reached to turn on the radio, needing some semblance of a beat. Edward's hand collided with my own. Seems like we had the same idea. The now familiar spark shot up my arm and warmed my heart. Moonlight Sonata filled the car, and when I pulled my hand back, his was intertwined with mine.

We reached my house, and it didn't surprise me when Edward came around and opened my door. I climbed out of the car and walked to my front door with Edward following behind me. When my hands finally stilled their shaking long enough for me to unlock the door, we headed to my room upstairs. I lay on my bed and faced Edward.

"Is this okay, Bella? I need to know if it's okay with you," he whispered.

I smiled softly, "C'mere, you sweet boy." I said as I turned on the stereo. The acoustic version of Dashboard Confessional's Hands Down was playing. Edward's lips met mine in a frenzied kiss as the chorus began.

Song playing: Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional (Acoustic version)

_My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me _

_So won't you kill me _

_So I die happy _

_My heart is yours _

_To fill or burst _

_To break or bury _

_Or wear as jewerly _

_Whichever you prefer _

"I've missed you so much, Bella. I blame myself for whatever the hell happened to separate us for four years," Edward whispered.

Edward's hard body pressed into every line of mine. Thick, deep stokes and worshipping touches came with this night, opposite of my one and only previous lover. I could literally feel the tension rolling off the pair of us in waves; stress over this past week, our reconnection, was finally going, leaving love's blissful peace in its wake.

"Bella," Edward pleaded quietly in my ear, "please tell me that I'm not dreaming, that this night isn't a one time thing for you? I need to know."

I gazed up into his smoldering green eyes and whispered into his lips as we kissed, "I'm falling for you, Edward. I've always been falling for you. Only now have I finally figured it out."

Edward's smile at this was almost blinding. A full-blown toothy and crooked grin that would've knocked me to my knees had I been standing. With one last thrust, we exploded over the edge together.

"Happy Valentines Day, Bella." Edward whispered in the darkness.

_And the scent of your hair  
That you twirled at your waist_

Edward grabbed one of the long tendrils of hair that had fell out Rosalie's intricate bun. "Your hair smells like strawberries," he mumbled.

After everything that had just happened between us, with the sex and all that we had said the past week, that one little comment made my face light on fire with the force of my blush. "It's my shampoo, but thanks anyway."

A long, lanky finger reached under my ducked chin and pushed up my face to look into Edward's eyes, "Don't hide. Your blush makes you even more beautiful."

_And the time on the clock  
When we realized it's so late _

"Oh my God! What time is it?!" I scrambled off Edward's naked, heaving body to search for my cell.

"I've got mine," Edward said and reached to pull the small silver phone off my nightstand. "Its 1:23, why?"

"Crap crap crap," I muttered and started pulling on my clothes.

"Bella? Bella, what are you doing?" Edward asked, alarmed.

"Alice will kill us if we're not at her party, Edward." I reminded him, exasperated. "She'll want all the deets on how we got together, and I know for sure that she will double-team with Rose to get me to wear something horribly fashion-forward as punishment for missing part of the party! She's your sister---you should know these things!"

I'm not afraid to admit that I was kind of annoyed at him for not getting this. Alice and Rose were evil when they didn't get their way.

And then what I assumed caught up with me.

"Oh. Crap. Oh crap crap. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to assume that we were together just because of tonight! I mean, I know we just had sex, but still. Don't feel obligated to be with me just  
becau--"

Edward's lips came down on mine in a searing kiss. "Bella," he whispered once we were done, "will you be my girlfriend?"

I gulped and nodded quickly.

"Great!" he smiled.

Just as I was about to ask for a round two, the vibration of Edward's phone shook against my leg. I backed up to hear Sweet Home Alabama playing faintly from the tiny phone's miniscule speaker and looked up to Edward in question.

"It's Jasper," he said, just as puzzled as I was, "though why he's calling me now of all times confounds me. Here, I'll put it on speaker."

He pressed the green talk button and another one on the side. A slight beeping noise alerted us that speaker was now on.

Edward nodded for me to begin.

"Hey, Jazz."

"Hello, Bella."

Crap, shitty, mother-fucking bitchy ass, goddamnit.

"Alice?" I asked nervously.

"When were you planning on telling me that you were leaving the best party Forks has seen since Yorkie's grandma turned sixty to go fuck my brother?" she asked sweetly.

"Um, eventually?" I drawled.

"You're a size seven in shoes and your cup size is a 38B, right?" she said innocently.

I decided to just go along with whatever she was doing. "Yes, anything else you needed?"

"Nope," she trilled. "That's all I need for what I'll be shopping for. Anyway, I'll let you go, there's some people here that want to talk to you."

A chorus of 'Hi, guys' and 'Sup, Edward's' filled the room via cell phone. I think I might have even heard a 'finally' or a curse that it was Edward here with me, and not some random loser.

Crap. Time to grow a pair and learn to deal with the repercussions later.

"Alice?" I asked nicely. "I've gotta go, too. It was nice talking to you all, but as you've heard, I've got a boyfriend to fuck. Bye!"

And I turned and pounced on Edward, intent on making good on my promise.


	14. Sex, Knives, and Videotape

Sex, Knives and Videotape

for Breath of Twilight's "Cupid's Little Uh-Oh" Valentine's Day countdown

***A/N***

*sigh* Despite the fact that I am the world's most procrastinating wench, Breathoftwilight was not only nice enough to invite me to participate in another one of her crazy countdowns, but was also gracious enough to let me submit this little ditty late - _waaaaay_ late.

But here it is nonetheless. This is another one-shot from _Pen Pals_, and will be uploaded to _The Power of Persuasion_ after the countdown. For those of you who follow my stories (_AmJur_ in particular), please know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth, nor have I abandoned the story. I've just had some crazy schtuff going on but hope to get my groove back here shortly. Thanks for your patience.

To all you lucky ladies who have a fella this V-Day, make sure he treats you extra special. For those of us who do not have a fella, let's gorge ourselves on conversation hearts and watch bootlegged copies of New Moon. Especially the scenes with slow-mo Robward breezing across the Forks High parking lot and him growling "You can go to hell," (ala "Get in the car").

* * *

EPOV

The doorbell rang one drizzly February morning and I went to the front door to find the UPS man standing there, a bored look on his face.

"You Edwin Cullen?" he asked gruffly, checking the wet label on the package under his arm.

"Edward," I corrected. "Edward Cullen. That's me."

He scrunched his shoulders in a gesture of 'whatever' and handed me his digital clipboard to sign. "In the black box, please, Mr. Cullen. Your autograph for the..." he scrunched his nose to read the label, "Crate and Barrel box here."

Taking the plastic pen, I signed in the little black box, checked to see if the resulting mark even remotely resembled my signature, and smirked when I saw that it wasn't anywhere close. Mr. UPS handed over the damp box, nodded his head curtly good-bye, and headed back down to his waiting truck. Rolling my eyes, I closed the door behind him and walked the package to the kitchen island. Above me, I heard the water turn off as Bella completed her shower.

While our wedding was months away, Alice had convinced Bella and I to wander the aisles and tables of Crate and Barrel (Alice tagging along, of course - because apparently Bella and I could not be trusted to accomplish the task alone) to look for any items that may have interested us, but which Bella and I knew would never fit in our increasingly-decreasing space. But never the mind - Alice took the registry gun and shot at anything we looked at twice, and some things that she personally liked. When we were done, neither Bella nor I had any notion as to what all might wind up appearing at our reception hall or on our front porch.

Busying myself around the kitchen by clearing our breakfast dishes and filling Ben's bowl, I waited for Bella to pad down the steps. The now-familiar scent of strawberries filled our kitchen before she ever actually stepped foot into the room. I turned to see her hair, down and dripping onto her terry cloth robe, hanging in a tangled mess as she angrily jerked a comb through one plait of it. Seeing me ogle her, she smirked and walked over to give me a peck on the cheek as I stood with my hands in hot dish water.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the wet box on the island with her comb.

"Just came. Registry gift?" I asked, shirking my shoulders as I watched her pick up the package and inspect it over my shoulder. "I thought you could do the honors, seeing as how it's the first one, and all." She rolled her eyes at me and opened the silverware drawer for a serrated knife to cut the packing tape.

Pulling back the cardboard flaps, she smiled wickedly before breaking out into laughter. "This is great!" She reached into the box and pulled out another box with Japanese glyphs on it. A chef who probably did a little sumo wrestling on the side was pictured on the front of the box, various vegetables, aluminum cans, and a rubber tire laid out in front of him. "Ginsu knives!" Bella exclaimed. "I've seen the infomercials - these puppies will slice through _anything_! See here," she pointed to the tire. "They freaking cut _tires, _Edward!"

I dried off my hands and picked up the box, skeptically inspecting the items laid out before Chef Wasabe. "Do we really _need_ them to cut through tires, love?" I pointed to the aluminum cans. "Or canned green beans? I mean, we have a perfectly functional can opener you know."

Bella rolled her brown eyes at me. "Of course we don't _need_ them, Edward. But they _are_ super cool, don't you think?" She opened the box and filled the block with the various knives before sitting it proudly next to the stove. "Wah-la!" she proclaimed. "Our first wedding present." She walked to me, encircling her arms around my waist. "It could have been a twenty-pound bag of flour, and it'd be special, you know. Because it's our first _wedding _present."

Understanding her fervor for the impractical knives, I bent to kiss her nose. "You smell good," I complimented as I breathed in her soaked hair.

"I _am_ good," she corrected, playfully squeezing my ass.

"Tell me something I don't already know, sweetheart," I answered, coyly reaching to untie the waist of her robe, allowing it to fall open and bare her nude body to me. No matter how many times I saw it, no matter the setting, I was continuously knocked over by how perfect she was. The swell of her breasts was the compliment to my abs when she laid her ear to my heart after we made love. The curve of her waist, the ideal resting spot for my forearm as we spooned.

Bella arched a brow at me critically, all the while reaching her delicate fingers under the hem of my t-shirt to untie the drawstring of my pants. Of course I was ready for her. When was I _not _ready for her?

But alas, it was not to be. Just as Bella reached her warm hand into my pants to grasp my erection, the damned traitor doorbell chimed again, sending Ben to leap up from his snoozing place on the couch. He bounded over the back of it and ran to the front door, skidding on the drops of water left by the wet knife box. He slid, his nose coming to rest with a 'thud' against the front door. He huffed, shook his head, and whined as he swatted at his nose.

I sighed and pulled Bella's robe closed. "You'd better get that," I warned. "I'm going to need a moment here," I said, motioning to the serious tent pitched in my pajama pants.

Huffing in agitation, Bella retied her robe and sulked to the front door, patting Ben's head when she made it to the foyer. "It's okay, big man. Brush it off." She patted his head and he obediently sat next to her, staring at the front door.

One second, I heard her turn the lock. The next second, the chime-like voice of my sister-in-law filled my house as Alice rushed in cursing. "Damn rain!" I heard the sound of her kissing Bella on the cheek. "Hey, mutt," she greeted Ben, who had walked out to the front porch - presumably to make sure she was alone. He walked back into the foyer and shook of the water on his coat at the same time Alice shook her own head, the droplets from the both flying in every direction. The sight made Bella and I laugh aloud.

"Aren't you two the odd couple?" I said, hugging Alice and taking her jacket from her. "What's the occasion, pixie?"

Alice narrowed her eyes, darting them from Bella to me - more particularly, to the slowly-dying semi I was carting. "Umm-hmm," she mused, twisting her lips in a half-smile and looking like Angela Lansbury in _Murder, She Wrote._ "I have something for you!" She handed over a handled shopping bag to Bella, who opened it and found a small gift-wrapped box inside. "Your first wedding present!" Alice clasped her hands together in pride, clearly elated to be the first person to give us a wedding gift. Her face fell and her lips pursed when she looked into the the kitchen to see the opened Crate and Barrel box. "What the hell? Someone beat me to it?"

"Ginsu knives," I answered blandly.

"But I didn't shoot Ginsu knives," she retorted. We both immediately glanced at Bella, whose face held the look of the kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Oh, shut up," she balked before stomping away, Alice's bag in her hand. "I've seen the infomercial. Those things are _awesome!" _she defended.

"Whatever," Alice shrugged. "No matter - _I _got you something you can actually _use_. Like, say, maybe next weekend when we go dress shopping. Go ahead. Open it!" She clapped her hands and bounced a little where she stood.

For the life of me, I would never understand how someone could be so short and yet so chipper.

Bella carefully ran her fingernail under the edge of the wrapping paper, slicing the tape and pealing back the silvery paper.

It was a video camera.

And it made my imagination take off faster than a speeding bullet.

Why?

_Seventeen-year-old horndog._"I don't get it," Bella said, crinkling her nose in confusion. "I mean don't get me wrong - it's a great gift - thank you - but what does dress shopping have to do with a video camera?"

Alice rolled her eyes impatiently. "Silly girl. Never trust mirrors. Always bring a camera if you really want to know how something looks on you!"

_Or off of you, _my wicked mind thought.

_Reign that shit in, Cullen, or else you'll be sporting a flag pole in front of your sister-in-law! Down boy, down!_"Great gift, Alice! That'll come in handy...er...next weekend, I'm sure, " I stammered, trying to discreetly move to stand behind the island and get my crotch out of Alice's line of sight. It was no use, though. The pixie sees all, knows all. She squinted at me, then looked at Bella, who after glancing my way, blushed crimson.

"Right," Alice replied, tapping her index finger to her chin. "Next weekend. Yeah." She awkwardly picked up her purse from the island and breezed into the laundry room to grab her jacket, leaving Bella and I to stand in the kitchen, Bella looking at me with a very confused look - I mouthed 'later' to her just as Alice returned to the kitchen and pecked Bella's cheek and then mine. "Well, lovebirds, I have to be going. Errands to run, clothes to buy," she chirped.

"Thanks again for the camera Alice. It really was very thoughtful of you," Bella said as she walked Alice to the door.

"Yes, _thoughtful_," I repeated, following Bella down the hall as Alice said good-bye. When she was safely in her little convertible, I closed and locked the door before hastily grabbing the tie of Bella's robe again and roughly yanking the terry cloth open.

She gasped and scolded me. "Edward! What's the deal? Are you truly that inspired by opening wedding gifts? Because, I mean, there are probably going to be a lot of them..."

"You. Upstairs. Now," I commanded, causing her eyes to bug open for a moment before she took off like a bolt of lightening up the stairs. I slowly walked into the kitchen and grabbed the camera from the opened box, dropping one of the provided micro-cassettes into it before making my way up the stairs.

***

BPOV

Edward eyed me suspiciously as Alice waxed eloquent on the finer points of the dependability of a video image of clothing rather than a mirror. He awkwardly congratulated Alice on a great wedding gift selection, allthewhile stealthily retreating to stand behind the kitchen island, obscuring what had, minutes before, been a full-on hard-on. Alice glared at him, then at me, and suddenly the pieces all fit together.

_He wants _us_ to use the camera._Alice hastily dismissed herself, and if I didn't know better, I would have sworn that she and Edward had some kind of telekinetic conversation wherein he bribed her with a new car to get out of our house lickity-split. As soon as the door closed, Edward locked it and his hands immediately went to the tie of my robe, jerking the lapels open and causing the cool air to harden my nipples like pencil erasers.

Holy hell.

_Well, okay. Maybe it had nothing to do with the cool air._I made a half-hearted attempt at scolding him, but when he gruffly ordered me up the stairs, I felt chastised, warned, and aroused all in the same instant. As I bolted up the stairs, I heard Edward downstairs unwrapping something plastic.

_A tape? Oh, sweet mercy!_My inner school marm shook a crooked finger at me and scolded me for even _thinking _what was about to happen was....hot.

But Vixen Bella swatted her with a ruler and told her to go to Hell.

_Vixen Bella has been winning these arguments a lot lately._

The stairs creaked as Edward slowly made his way up there, no doubt knowing exactly what the slow torture was doing to me. Sure enough, I began to feel the increasingly-familiar dampness between my thighs as I sat on our bed on my heels, my hands folded demurely in my lap. The top of his copper hair came into view just a split second before my favorite crooked smile - the one that told me I was in for a true treat.

Vixen Bella clapped her hands like a thirteen-year-old fangirl at an Jonas Brothers concert. Even School Marm Bella quirked an eyebrow in interest.

"My sweet girl," he mused as he walked slowly across the bedroom, placing the camera atop our dresser and folding out the view screen. "I think that you'd be foolish to wait to use this gift until next weekend. I mean, what if it doesn't work? You'd be devastated that you wouldn't have saved your dress shopping on the little micro-cassette, wouldn't you?"

Unable to speak for fear all that would come out would be a squeak, I nodded my head slowly. Edward hit a button on the camera and a little green light appeared near the lens.

_Lights...._I gulped back my nervousness and my excitement as Edward came to kneel in front of me on the bed, his gaze never leaving my eyes as he slowly removed my robe. The terrycloth pooled around my knees and calves on the bed before he absently grabbed it and tossed it to the floor next to the bed. I was naked. And on film.

Camera....

_Action._"Beautiful," he whispered to himself as his eyes drank me in, causing my entire body to flush with both embarrassment and arousal at his heated gaze. He leaned forward to trace my lips with his tongue, and when I opened my lips to him, he merely smirked against them and sat back. I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Lay down for me, love," he gently prodded, and I obeyed. A small shiver ran through my body at the realization that I was naked and splayed out for a rolling camera, all while Edward was still calm, collected, and fully clothed.

_So not fair._But the moment he parted my knees and lightly bit my inner thigh just _right there_, my eyes rolled back into my head. His breath fanned across my sex, and when the air hit me, I realized just how excited I was. Edward hummed as his tongue gently lapped from my opening to the top of my clit, tugging on it with his lips.

I whimpered.

"My goodness, Isabella. What has you so wet and ready for me? Hmm?" he teased.

"Oh, you know," I replied, going for nonchalant but missing the mark by about twenty yards. "I do _so _love getting presents."

"You love no such thing, my dear. You hate presents. Now tell me the truth - are you excited that I'm going to film everything that I'm going to do to you tonight?"

I did my best to ignore him, but the moment that his tongue drove into me, I hissed, "Yessss."

The smug bastard chuckled wickedly at my body's reaction to him. Silently, he lapped at me until I was worked into a fine frenzie, bucking my hips to set a pace that would get me home quickly. I grabbed and clawed at the neckline of his shirt, urging him to remove the offending material.

When I was almost _there, _he sat up, quickly discarded his pajama pants and shirt. He dove at me, his arms landing along the side of my torso. He snaked them under my body, one hand pressed between my shoulder blades, the other finding hold in my hair as he pushed into me. I gasped at the sensation, and because I had been so close just seconds before, the contact tipped me over the edge and I came so hard that my muscles actually worked to constrict him out of my body.

"Fuck, Bella!" he cursed under his breath. "You're so tight I can barely get in you!"

Once the contractions had stopped and I was able to breathe again, Edward's smirk returned and he began to move slowly inside of me, gliding with a gentle friction that ebbed to a faster pace. I dug my nails into the skin at his neck, his back, his scalp - anywhere to gain the stability I needed to push my hips up higher to him, driving him deeper. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew he'd resemble an inmate beaten with a cat-of-nine-tails, but I couldn't think of why we should stop.

Edward grunted in my ear and stilled his movements as he streamed into me, the warm sensation causing my body to relax and sink into the bed. "I _so _love you, Future Mrs. Cullen," he panted into my hair before placing reverent kisses on my forehead.

"You'd better," I teased. "Because they say the camera adds ten pounds."

That weekend, with Alice's help and the aide of my new best electronic friend, we found _the _dress. It was perfect. I couldn't wait for Edward to see it, but when I casually mentioned that I was just going to show Edward the video, Alice threatened me within an inch of my life.

For a shrimp, she can be very intimidating.

That Sunday evening, Alice and Jasper, Emmett, Rose and Carly, came out for dinner at our house. The three of us girls drank Cosmos and worked on side dishes in the kitchen while the boys sat out on the deck grilling chicken and brats. Carly sat at the coffee table coloring in her Disney Princesses coloring book, which apparently required ten different shades of pink and purple to get "just right".

"Aunt Bewwa," she pouted from the living room.

"Yes, sweetie?" I answered while pouring chips into a big bowl. Rose immediately grabbed a handful and began working on them.

"I bored. I watch movie? You got Dowwa?"

Confused, I looked at Rosalie for a translation. She mouthed 'Dora the Explorer' to me.

"Oh! No Carly, I don't. But I did record the Backyardigans marathon for you last week. Would you like to watch that?"

"_Weeeeeee're your best fwiends, the Backwardiguns,"_ she sang, off-key. "Sure. Where are they?" She hopped up onto the couch so she could see us, her ringlets bouncing around her face long after she had actually stopped moving. Once again, it made me wonder what a daughter of Edward's would look like.

"They're upstairs in the DVD player. Just go ahead and turn on the TV and push the green arrow button, and you're all set, okay?"

"Okay!"

When she took off up the stairs without another word, Rosalie quickly snapped at her, "Carly! What do you say to Aunt Bella for recording the Backyardigans for you?"

The tiny footsteps on the stairs came to a quick halt and made their way back to the opening in the banister. "I sowwy, Aunt Bewwa. Thank you for wecording Backwardiguns for me."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Just holler if you need help with it."

She bounced back up the stairs and the three of us returned to our discussion of the hot teacher on _Glee._ Less than a minute later, we were interrupted by Carly's shrill scream. Alice, Rose and I nearly fell on top of each other trying to get up the stairs fast enough to see what could possibly have scared the little girl so. We reached the top step with Rose in the lead, Alice behind her and me last.

It was then that I looked at the television.

Not.

Backyardigans.

On instinct, Rose rushed to Carly and shielded her eyes with her hand as I frantically searched for the fucking 'stop' button on the DVD player, only to give up and just unplug the television from the wall outlet to shut it off. But it was too late. She had seen Uncle Wedwod and Aunt Bewwa in our naked glory, just at the precise moment Edward raised his head from between my thighs.

_Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck, fuck._"Uh-oh..." Alice snickered from her perch on the top step.

**by covermeinfeathers**


	15. A Tale Of Two Naples

**Host note: Happy Valentine's day!! How did you spend your Valentines Day? Any spectacular spouces out the in the RW that did something absolutley rave worthy? Srsly....I wanna hear about it :-P Let me live vicariously through you, please....**

Collab start posting tomorrow - hope you enjoy.

xx

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**A/N:  
Beta-love to cclore for support and cranking this out. Hugs to breathoftwilight for hosting.**

Thank you for reading. Go check out my multi-chapter fic Fate & Forgotten Secrets.

Stephanie Meyer owns these characters, I just have fun with them.

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A Tale of Two Naples

**  
BPOV**  
I'm pretty sure I was floating as I packed my suitcase. Things managed to make it from my drawers and tiny closet into the chocolate and blush striped luggage without me recognizing that I placed it there. Yep. I was floating.

In mere hours, I would get to see Italy for the first time and my boyfriend for the first time in a while. Therefore, floating is a very appropriate reaction.

I'm not really a Valentine's Day kind of girl. I'd never been scorned by a past lover, I wasn't left out of the mandatory valentines in elementary school. In fact, I typically had too many valentines; especially in high school. Like the year Eric and Felix fought to ask me to the dance. I never did the whole 'listen to angry girl music while I cry over being alone' on this day. I just simply didn't see the point in Valentine's Day. If a man or woman loved you, there were a plethora of other days to show it just fine. No need to purchase price-gouged roses of an inconsequential, generic-red hue that meant the same thing to everyone. And it's ridiculous to feel obligated to give sex in return for such a thing.

But this year, I was excited. Not because of the day specifically and it's commercially, generalized American meaning. But because of what it now held for me.

I continued to float around, packing various travel items from my small apartment in Paris in preparation for the long weekend away. I had been here for six weeks, nearly seven, working hard on my master's thesis on the styles of Monet, Renoir, and Bastien-Lepage. Three artists in the same time period of the nineteenth century, impressionist era. Examining and comparing their styles and influence on one another, the period as a whole and the future of art. I spent a lot of time in Bibliothèque nationale de France and Musee du Louvre.

It had been hard when I left New York. I tried to put on a brave face, but the minute I crossed into security, I cried like a sniveling infant. And I felt dense for playing games like a stupid girl and trying to act indifferent towards Edward when he's done nothing but put all his cards on the table. And now, with an ocean between us, all I wanted was to have him running his hands through my hair while his sparkly green eyes gleamed at me. To feel the plush of his lips against mine. To relish in the ricocheting shudder that resonated in my body whenever he was close by. I just wanted him. Always.

Stupid girl that I was, I tried to hide these things. In my defense, Edward made me nervous. He's gorgeous and perfect and very intense. Not that there was anything wrong with me. But I was more of America's sweetheart cute and he's way more than the boy next door. But I loved him, I couldn't help it. And he loved me, even though I would never understand how or why.

And I'd known since the moment I saw him that he would forever be mine.

When I dragged my best friends Rosalie and Jane to the art show at _The Future of Art Gallery_ in The Village a little over a year and a half ago to troll through some of the works of new and local artists, I expected to come home with an over-priced painting. Not a date with my future planned for the next night.

I was standing with Jane in front of a very odd sculpture. From an artistic point, the lines were phenomenal. From an observer's standpoint, we couldn't figure out what the hell it was. Jane was making jokes about how the sculpture possibly looked like a person being tortured and writhing on the floor. I was laughing and looked out over the floor for Rosalie to see if she had come back in from talking to my brother, Emmett, on the phone when I saw _him_.

Edward was standing with the owner, Alice, and a pale, tall blond guy and a very tanned man with spiky black hair as well. That's all I could tell you because I was stuck staring at him. I was drawn to him. Even in that moment, more than fifty feet away, I felt that ricochet effect. It felt so foreign and so good and I never wanted it to stop. He looked in my direction, while laughing, and his eyes locked on mine. I froze. I could hear Jane talking to me, but it was background noise. My entire vision clouded, except for him. He was a clear and shining light in the haze.

He started to move towards me and the closer he got, the stronger the feeling got. It was so...intense and heady and unnerving. I thought I was going to be sick. By the time he reached me, I was sure I had blacked out.

"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen," he said in the most sensually, soft, silky sound I had ever heard. If silk were a voice, it would be his. It washed over me and made me feel gently caressed and special. He held out his hand and I grabbed it nervously.

"Bella Swan."

"Nice to meet you, Bella Swan. Now that I've met you, I'd like to know you. Can I take you out tomorrow?" I nodded, unable to speak. He took my phone from my hand and did something with the screen and then handed it back to me. A moment later, his phone buzzed and he played with it a second before turning back to me.

I was one touch from a wobbling puddle of Jell-O. Somehow, I managed to mumble out my address and he said he would pick me up at eight. I spent the entire night and the next day walking a fine line of sanity. A little more than a year and a half later and he still made me insane, but in the most delicious way.

In the time I'd been here, I vowed to stop playing stupid games and just be open with how I felt about him and how he made me feel. I'd told him that I loved him, but I often shied away from expressing my need and want for him in my life. And even though he was very good at deciphering my cryptic behavior, he couldn't read my mind. If I loved him, I shouldn't make it hard for him. And I did love him.

Although Edward was a night crawler and was often awake at night when I was during the day here, the time difference has been hard for us. So most of our communication was electronic. He worked very hard as a Portfolio Manager in the city and was always dashing from one place to the next. Meeting with this client or that one. Fielding one harrowing call from a panicked rich person or the next. He loved his job and he's really just so good at it. Like a financial savant or something. It all came so naturally to him. And I loved his put together, wall street look with the sexy silk ties and perfectly tailored designer suits - the gray pin stripe was my favorite - almost as much as his relaxed, hanging out with my girlfriend look. I loved him in jeans. So much. I loved him naked even more.

So when I got his email this morning to meet him in Naples for Valentine's Day, I screamed and jumped around the room. I calmed down enough to call and book a flight for the short trip. I called to talk to him, but his phone went to voice mail. He was probably asleep or in some late day meeting. I knew I'd see him later, so it was okay.

I double checked a few things. Then I left to grab a cab downstairs.

The cab driver spoke to me, asking me about where I was headed and if it was for the romantic holiday. In my limited, conversational French, I answered him the best I could. Realizing then that I was American, he changed to English and asked me why I was leaving Paris for the 'love holiday' when everyone came to Paris for it. I couldn't contain my excitement when I told him I was going to Italy for the first time to see my boyfriend again after a time apart. He smiled for me and wished me luck as he helped me extricate my luggage from his trunk.

The flight was short and I knew I drove the other passengers crazy as I nearly buzzed with excitement in my seat. I bolted from the plane when we landed at Naples International, anxious to get my bag and meet Edward - he said he would be waiting for me here. I got my bag fairly quickly as the plane wasn't full; there wasn't a lot of luggage to get through. I looked around and didn't see any sign of Edward, which confused me. He said he'd be waiting. I walked to the little in-airport cafe and bought a bottle of water and pulled out my phone.

Just as I pulled it out of my pocket, it started to ring.

"Hello, Edward?"

"Bella, where are you?"

"What do you mean? Where are you? I'm at the airport."

"Me too," he said, "which gate? I'll come to you."

This was an odd conversation and I did send him my flight itinerary after I made it this morning. I was sure I did. At that moment, an Italian family walked by and the father was shouting at one of his sons, who was lagging behind the group. Then, there was a recorded set of airport announcements, also in Italian, that came through the speakers.

"Bella, where are you exactly?"

His tone was harsher this time and laced with concern. I could almost hear his jaw clicking through the line.

"I'm at Naples International, Terminal 1. This _Aeroporto Caffe_," I said, reading the marquee, "waiting for you because you said you would be here waiting for me."

"Fucking Christ, Bella. Naples, Italy?"

"Yes, Edward. I don't understand what the hell is going on. Care to clue me in?"

"Sure. You're in fucking Italy and I'm in fucking Florida."

"Why are you in Florida? You said meet you in Naples..." and then it hit me. He meant Naples, Florida. Stateside. Not Naples, Italy. My heart sank. Not because of the location, but because he was there and I was here and now even further than Paris and New York. I heard myself gasp for air.

"Yeah." A deep sigh came through his end and I imagined him pinching the bridge of his nose, attempting to fight his aggravation.

"I'm so sorry. I saw your email, I just figured Naples, Italy. I...just..."

"It's okay, baby. Please don't cry. It's my fault. I should have been more clear."

"I hate this!" I sobbed. "I miss you so much and I hate this. Now it will be even longer before I see you."

"I can come there. I'll get the next flight..." I cut him off.

"No. By the time you get here, you'll have to turn right back around for work. That's like dangling a damn carrot in my face." I wanted to see him more than anything, but if he came for just a minute, long enough for me to see his beautiful face through the security glass and then turn around, I would be miserable.

"You can come here. Can you take a small break from your thesis?" he asked, a softness returning to his tone.

"I can't afford that, Edward. Not now. Not on such short notice. And no, you can't pay for it," I said, cutting off his argument before he could start. I wasn't poor, I was just smart with my money. And with the waning world economy, you could never be sure. I wasn't working while I was here. I was living off of academic fellowship funds and the small account that was left to me when my father died from mouth cancer. It was supposed to be for college. My parents had been saving it my entire life, but I got scholarships for undergrad and they never had to use it. I'd used some to help pay for Charlie's funeral and to help me get settled right after I graduated and some traveling I had done, but not much else.

"Bella, you're not leaving me any options here, love. What do you want me to do? I can hear your sobs and they're killing me."

"It's fine. Really. I'm going to head back to Paris. I have some research I need to do over. I think I screwed up some cross-referencing."

With a heavy sigh, we both hung up. He tried to convince me to let him come to me, but I couldn't. I felt so stupid for thinking Italy and getting here without confirming. I was so excited, I didn't think. I went to the ticket counter and worked with the agents to get me back to Paris.

As I walked back through security and to my departure gate to wait the five hours until my flight, I curled up in my seat and stared at pictures of Edward on my phone. The closest to him I would get today.

**EPOV**  
No way. No fucking way was I going back to New York to crunch numbers and make the rich even richer when my heart and soul was floating in between Italy and France crumbled, broken and dejected. Especially since I fucked up.

Why the fuck had I not been more clear when I said Naples? I automatically assumed she would know I meant Naples, FL since we stayed at that Bed and Breakfast, A Dream Came True Guest House, when her mom got re-married last year and had the best weekend. I wanted to relive those moments with her. Show her how I felt about her now more than ever before. There was something I wanted to ask her and I only wanted to do it in person.

Why the fuck had I been so blind to not realize she'd think Naples, Italy? She's been mentioning Italy for a little while now. Truthfully, I was dying to go there with her. And I knew she felt the same. I guess with her being closer now, the want to go was stronger. Stupid ass that I was, I completely forgot about it.

Now, here I sat on the steps of a stupid shoe-shining booth, running my hands through my hair and trying to figure out how to fix this epic fuck up. Because I'll be damned if my girl was going to sit in her apartment and eat the Doritos and Hostess cakes she just had me send her or the sesame baguette with Camembert butter she has come to love while living there, while watching ridiculous YouTube videos on her Mac to try and cheer herself up.

I knew what my end goal was - get to Paris, but I had no idea how I was going to do it. I called my assistant, Jake, because there were no international flights from Naples, FL. Together, we concluded that driving to Miami to catch a flight to London and then to Paris was the best option. I let him know to reschedule all my shit for the following week because I didn't plan on coming back until I took Bella's sorrow away and asked her what I needed to ask.

I rushed down to the rental car agencies and was able to get a Black Mercedes SL600, the only car they had available without reservation. Not like it was a problem. The drive down to Miami wasn't a straight shot and I hoped there wasn't going to be a lot of traffic. I didn't have a lot of time to get there before my flight. I bobbed and weaved and most certainly broke every traffic law in the sunshine state as I embarked across I-75 to get to where I needed to be. I didn't think my speedometer read less than ninety since I turned the car on. I got to Miami International with a little time to spare. I hopped out of the car, tossed my keys into one of those return envelopes and bolted up to the departures level.

I checked in at a kiosk and was through security on my way to my gate when my phone started vibrating in my pocket. It was Emmett calling.

"Em, I really don't have time right now."

"What the fuck did you do?" he hollered into the phone, effectively cutting me off. Bella must have called Rose.

"Listen, I fucked up. There was miscommunication, but I'm in the middle of fixing it."

"I told you about this shit. I told you not to hurt my Izzy or I'd break you."

"Shut the fuck up, Emmett. We just got our wires crossed. I'm working on getting to her. I'm already in Miami waiting to board a flight to London so I can catch one from there to Paris."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh. What did Bella say anyway?"

"I have no idea. It was a bunch of sniveling, sob sounds. She was calling Rose, but I answered her phone because Rose said her nails were wet. And when I answered, she just cried. Something about two Naples and needing him, which I assume is you, to touch her hair or something. I don't know, man. I couldn't understand the words, but I heard the pain. You need to fix this."

"I'm already on it. She cried to me too, but she tried not to. It broke me. I hate for her to cry."

"You're a good man, Edward. Maybe I won't break you and I'll just slap you around a bit," he said with a laugh.

"Right," I said as I hung up. Emmett was a good guy. A little too overprotective of his _adult _sister, but a good man nonetheless. I liked him almost as much as my sister Alice's fiance, Jasper. Mainly because Jasper has never threatened to break me.

The boarding for my flight started and I settled into my seat for the long ass flight ahead, but it would be worth it in the end. Anything for Bella.

I finally landed in Paris. It was an almost painless flight process. There was some turbulence and there was an annoying older woman who talked way too loud, but other than that, it was fine. I got my luggage and hailed a cab, telling the driver Bella's address in French. He seemed impressed, since I was clearly American or perhaps Irish, but definitely not French, and spoke to me about my purpose for my visit. I told him I was here to see a beautiful girl who I missed. That I was supposed to meet her in Naples, Florida but that she thought Naples, Italy because I wasn't clear. He commented that there seemed to be a lot of Italian travel today and I just shrugged at him. We reached Bella's apartment and I got out, tipping him generously for his fast driving and friendly conversation.

As I was walking to the front door, someone was walking out, so I just went in and took the stairs up four flights to Bella's unit. It was very late and I hoped she wasn't asleep and I'd hoped she'd made it back from Italy already. She hadn't called me yet, but I got a text from Rose saying she was able to change her flight. Just not any details as to when.

I knocked on the door and waited. I didn't hear anything, so I wasn't sure if she was home. I patted the gift in my pocket to make sure it was where I had left it. I knocked again and waited. Nothing. I took out my phone; I was going to call her. Maybe she was asleep and in that case, I felt like an ass for waking her. But then, maybe something wasn't right and in that case, hearing her voice, even if she told me to fuck off, was okay. Just as I pressed the call button, I heard locks start to turn on the other side of the door before it flew open.

Bella.

**BPOV**

Edward.

He was here. He didn't listen to me, but he's here.

"Hi, baby," he crooned as he crossed the threshold, dropping his suitcase just inside the door and pulled me to him in a crushing hug. I let out a small sob. Residual from all the crying I had done, but also in relief that he was actually here. He nuzzled his face into my neck and kissed the skin there, causing me to shudder.

"You didn't listen to me. I told you not to come," I whispered out.

"I did listen. I heard you loud and clear," he said, grasping my cheeks in his soft hands. "You tried to hide it from me, but I heard you. You wanted me here. You needed to see me. Just as much as I want and need you." His words reached me to the depths of my soul as he leaned down to kiss me. It was passionate and needy, mirroring the way I felt. His hands left my cheeks and went to wrap around my waist, pulling me closer. The intensity was so much and I needed air, but I didn't want to let go. He nibbled on my bottom lip and I gasped, desperate to breathe.

"What's wrong? Please don't cry," he said while staring into my eyes and noting the tears pooling there. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I really fucked up. I just wanted to spend time with you." His hand moved to my cheek and wiped away the tears that fell. "We had such a great time that weekend in Naples. It never occurred to me to be specific."

I knew he was beating himself up over this because that's just how he was. He's a perfectionist. Prides himself on thinking of every last detail. Allowing no room for error. It's part of the key to his success. And I couldn't let him beat himself up over something like this. Besides, he was here now.

"It was just a small thing. We're fine. You're here. I could not be any more happy right now." I stood up on my bare toes to kiss him and he leaned down to meet my lips with his plush ones. Six weeks, no kissing. Dammit I loved kissing.

I tilted my head and deepened the kiss, my hands running up his chest and circling his neck, pressing my body closer to his. I could feel his cock come to life through his jeans as a soft moan escaped my lips. Edward's hands slowly left my cheeks and glided around to the base of my neck, tangling in my hair as he started to push forward through my apartment. The kiss, growing more and more passionate the more we moved. He nibbled on my bottom lip, catching it in between his pointed teeth and I whimpered. Edward let out a soft chuckle against my lips as his tongue flicked out over the space that was just in his teeth.

Breaking the kiss, Edward hoisted me up over his shoulder causing me to laugh and insist that he put me down. He just smacked me lightly on the ass while answering me with a laugh of his own. He tossed me down on the bed, but not too hard and I was still laughing.

"Is something funny?" he asked with a smile as his fingers came down and assaulted my sides. I was so ticklish and he knew it.

"Stop, stop. Please. I can't breathe," I laughed out.

"You want me to stop?"

"Yes!" I squealed. Edward abruptly stopped his assault on me and took a few steps back. I opened my eyes and peered at him standing there. "What are you doing?"

"You told me to stop. I stopped."

I pouted, but he didn't budge. I sat up, my legs dangling over the side of the bed and reached out to pull him closer to me. "I didn't mean it." I reached up and started to unbutton his shirt slowly while my gaze met his. I could feel the heat between us. The desire, the want, the need. He shrugged his arms out of the sleeves and then removed his white undershirt as well, leaving his bare torso for me to praise. I kissed the flesh there, watching as it goosebumped under my touch. Light, soft kisses to his lower chest and abdomen. I traced my tongue along the top tip of the muscular 'v' poking out of his jeans.

I undid the buckle of his jeans, slowly pulling it from each loop as I continued to kiss his skin. I threw it across the room in haste to get to his jeans. I loved his jeans. They always perfectly formed to him. His long legs, muscular thighs and his perfect, round ass. So delicious. I loved his jeans, but they had to go. Painfully slow, though I'm not sure whether it was worse for me or him, I undid his jeans. Then slowly, I pushed them down his hips to show only his gray, silk boxers. I could see the bulge of his cock straining to break free from the fabric and I was only too happy to oblige.

I tugged his boxers down and his cock sprang free. Edward hissed when the cool air hit his warm skin. I ran my hands up his thighs separately before they came together at the base. Together, I moved them up the shaft and he moaned out loud, making me smile. I kissed the tip of his cock, once, twice before I sucked the head into my mouth. A groan resonated in Edward's throat as I sucked the head and stroked his shaft in a steady rhythm.

Edward threw his head back and his hands found purchase on my head as his hips started to thrust forward, matching my rhythm. "Shit," he hissed through a clenched jaw. I relaxed my throat muscles as he thrust into my mouth, allowing his cock entry into my throat and he moaned deeply. "Fucking hell, Bella. I've missed this. Shit."

I could tell he was getting closer as his cock started to throb more in my mouth and the the balls in my hand were growing tight. I increased my pace and swirled my tongue around his cock, tasting him as I fondled his balls. It was only a matter of moments before his thrusts became erratic and he let out a low growl as he came into my mouth. I swallowed every drop as his movements slowed and his hand fell from my hair.

He pushed my shoulders so they fell back onto the bed and then began to crawl onto the mattress. I crawled backwards on my elbows, giggling as he followed me on his knees like a predator. When he finally caught me, he latched his mouth onto my neck and bit playfully, causing me to squeal out loud and hit him on the back. I loved it when he's playful like this.

His hands traveled to the hem of my tank and quickly lifted it over my head to remove it. He kissed down my bare chest, his tongue making a quick way to my nipples. Moving from one to the other, he laved his tongue over my flesh as they pebbled under his touch. He sucked one into his mouth, nibbling lightly and causing my back to arch in response. His hands still made dough out of my skin as he touched and pressed and kneaded my flesh in his more than capable hands.

He pressed his fingers into the crotch of my boy shorts and I could feel the wetness drenching the fabric. I also felt him smile with my nipple in his mouth, letting me know he appreciated it. He shifted away from me for a minute as he hooked his thumbs under the band of my panties and pulled them slowly down my legs. I wished he wouldn't tease me.

He spread my legs apart and settled between them as his hands came up to lay gentle touches across my breasts, down my chest and stomach and finally rest on my hips. He kissed the inside of my thigh, gently sucking the sensitive skin and making me jerk slightly. He worked his way upwards until his face was just mere inches from where I wanted it to be. I could feel his hot breath hitting my bare skin and it was so delicious, but I wanted more. I tried to thrust my hips upward, but he stopped me with his firm grip. I heard him chuckle out loud.

"You're being mean," I cried out.

"But it feels so nice," he crooned and I was just so anxious for more.

His lips met my flesh and I shuddered at the contact as his tongue peaked out and parted my folds. He flicked his tongue against my clit and a hum vibrated between my thighs. "I've missed your taste," he said with a mouthful as he peaked up at me.

"Mmhm. I've missed your mouth."

His grip lessened on my hips and I automatically pushed them more towards his mouth to increase the pressure against my clit. Two very elegant fingers found their way to my slit, circling with the same fervor as his tongue until they slipped inside. I nearly growled when he changed the position of his hand for his fingers to work against that special spot. I clamped my thighs around his face and the feeling of the scruff that lingered on his cheeks scratching my thighs was amazing. His lips wrapped around my clit and he sucked hard.

I felt the warmth building at the base of my spine and the woozy feeling overtake my brain. I could feel the tingly sensation crawl up my legs as my orgasm fast approached. I cried out his name as it finally came and overtook my senses hard and fast.

Shit his tongue was magical. But I wasn't sated and apparently, neither was Edward. As he crawled up my body on the bed I could feel his already hardened cock against my spread legs and I smirked up at him, knowing where that was going. He kissed me soundly on the mouth and I trailed my fingers in his hair, getting a firm grip.

"Fuck me now, please," I said against his kiss and he smiled.

"Anything you want, baby."

In one swift movement, Edward was sheathed inside my pussy that had been aching for him for nearly seven weeks. We both moaned out loud at the combined sensation and the emotions behind what was going on. Goddamit, I loved this man more than I had ever loved anything.

"Fuck, baby. You feel so good. Even better than I could hope to remember," Edward panted out.

My hips matched his thrust for thrust. Perfectly matching rhythm as nothing but his groans and my moans filled the air around us.

"Oh, God. So good. Harder!"

"Yeah, baby? Harder?" he asked as he shifted my legs to his shoulders and my hands flew to my taut nipples. "Like that?"

"Yes. Oh, fuck!" I wanted him to consume me, every inch of me from the inside out, now and forever. This position also gave him deeper access to hit every sensitive angle I had. I could feel my second orgasm fast approaching and I needed it. Leaving one hand playing with my nipple, I trailed the other down my stomach until it found my already sensitive clit. I gasped as my hand hit my flesh, but still began to rub furious circles around it.

"That's my girl. Touch yourself for me. Let me see it."

I arched my back as the combination of Edward's deep thrusts, dirty words and my hand on my clit sent me over the edge. I nearly lifted off the bed with the jolt of my orgasm as white spots popped behind my eyelids. Not a moment later, Edward growled ferociously as he came deep inside me with a few more thrusts.

He stilled for a moment before pulling out and I whined at the loss. He crawled next to me, kissing any skin in his path before his head rested against the pillow. He pulled me to him and I placed my head on his chest, slick with the sweat of our lovemaking. We laid there for a while, just enjoying the feel of each other as his hands ran through my hair and I traced the muscle lines on his torso. It was beautiful as the lights in the city shined through the window.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you," he said softly. I sat up slightly to look at him. His expression was serious. I hoped it wasn't anything bad.

"Ok," I replied timidly.

He reached down to the floor and picked up his jeans. He came back to me at the head of the bed and rested on one elbow. In his hand was a shiny red box.

_Oh God. _

"Bella, I love you."

"I love you, too." _Oh God. There were butterflies in my stomach. We hadn't even talked about this._ "But, Edward..."

"Shhh. Let me finish."

He placed the shiny red box in my palm and I eyed it for a minute. I was terrified and excited to open it. I wasn't ready for marriage. I knew I wanted to grow old with him, but I wasn't sure about the marriage part. And I wasn't sure if now was the time to go that route. I just wanted him. No strings.

I opened the box with shaky hands to find a very bright, heart shaped key ring. I'd been around the Cullens long enough to know that the key ring was made of platinum. The embossed lettering inside the top told me this platinum key ring came from Cartier. I softly shook my head at the notion, but could only really smile. Attached to the key ring were two keys. I looked at Edward confused.

"Move in with me, Bella. I want this every morning. I want to wake up next to you. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms every night. I want to freak out at your feminine toiletries on my bathroom counter. When you get back to New York, come and live with me."

_Say yes. No more hiding. This is what you wanted. Say yes._

"Yes!"

"Yes?"

"Yes. Of course," I cried as I crawled onto his naked lap and peppered his handsome face with kisses.

"I was afraid you wouldn't want to. I know you like to do things on your own."

"Yes. You didn't ask me to come and be your patsy. I want more than anything to live with you. To see your scruff every morning. To have you close when I need you and want you. To fall asleep in your arms every night and wake up just the same."

He pulled my face down to his and kissed me softly. "I'm so fucking glad."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, baby. So fucking much. Happy Valentine's Day."

**Author: snshyne**


	16. Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 1

**Here it is, hope you all enjoy….there will be an author's note at the end to introduce all of the participants. Huge thanks to all of the readers, who have been so supportive. All your reviews were read and loved, and we can't thank you enough for all of your support and kind words.**

**So, without further ado, I give you the first part of:**

**Countdown to V-Day ~ Cupid's Lil 'Ut Oh'**

**~*~BPOV~*~**

Edward and I were engaged on January 1st and by January 2nd Alice had already begun talking about table-scapes and flower arrangements.

"You're getting married in February, so I think pink and green may be nice for the linens and stuff," Alice had suggested. "Not anything too _cupidy_ of course, but a nice deep green. Emerald, you know? Oh! Pink with emerald detailing!"

All the while I simply nodded my head and told her to pick out designs and I would give the final okay. To be honest, I was not too interested in all the fine details of the wedding. All I really wanted was Edward, and since I already had him, everything else was just a formality. If I were really following my heart, I would have just had the wedding at a courthouse and called it a day.

Alice would have died, though.

And she's pretty much immortal, so dying would be a big deal. Therefore, I let her live out her wedding fantasy and watched bemused as she orchestrated every single facet of the wedding. She spent hours poring over wedding magazines, now and then pulling me over to scrutinize some flower arrangement or bridesmaid dress.

"Look at this," Alice sniped one afternoon, pointing at a red dress in the magazine. "Who would pick red for bridesmaid dresses, honestly?"

"I bet a lot of people," I answered, to which she sniffed haughtily and replied, "No one in their right mind would, Bella. It's an angry color."

I personally saw nothing wrong with a red bridesmaid dress, but knew better than to challenge Alice Cullen on anything wedding or fashion related. I simply nodded my head and kept my little mouth shut. Ironically enough, when we actually went to look at the bridesmaid dresses that she had picked out, a select few were this supposedly ghastly color.

"I thought red was an angry color," I teased as she stepped out of the dressing room. She had assumed the role of model for the dresses and shot me a look before beginning to turn slowly, her hands arched up as if she were dancing.

"What do you think of the cut?"

"I think the cut is fine."

Alice nodded, stopping in front of the mirror. "Yes, I think the cut is perfect. And red is not an angry color. Where in the world did you hear that?"

"You said it yourself."

She laughed brightly, shaking her inky head. "Oh Bella, I would never say that. You know, you've gotten even funnier since your change. Anyway, are you a fan of this dress or not? Because I think it is perfect, but it's not my decision to make, of course."

I smirked at this, knowing full well that this decision was more Alice's than mine. At the end of the day, this wedding was Alice's baby, and she would undoubtedly make sure that it was what she deemed as well outfitted. Still, though, I liked the dress enough and didn't feel like causing a fuss, so I told her, "You're right. The dress is perfect."

She clapped her hands together and raised them up to her nose excitedly. "Oh Bella, your wedding's coming together beautifully, isn't it? This is so exciting!"

She pranced back to the dressing room and emerged much quicker than any human would. She caught my disapproving look and replied, "Oh, like anyone's looking. We have too much to do today, anyway. Remember, we have to finalize the guest list today after we get home. The Four Seasons wants a final count today for the banquet hall."

I nodded, fervently hoping that she would suddenly have a mercurial change in thought and propose a quick courthouse marriage. Or even better, an elopement! Instead, she looked back at me when I hadn't followed her from the dressing rooms and said, "Come on, Bella! We have places to be, people to see!"

I grudgingly followed her.

She walked ahead of me with the dress in hand and then personally gave it over to the woman who had been helping us. She then went on to give very detailed instructions to the woman as to what we wanted in terms of dresses and how she should store it. I thought to myself that it seemed Alice was working at the dress shop and not the other way around.

"Make sure not the crush the skirt," Alice told the woman. "I want it nice and full when I pick all of them up."

"Yes," the woman droned, a tight smile plastered on her face. "You have a good day now."

"You, too."

Alice linked her arm through mine and whispered something particularly nasty under her breath. Swallowing my grin, I walked out.

**~*~EPOV~*~**

Sometimes I felt guilty for asking Bella to marry me. I watched her squirm uncomfortably under the attention of all those who laid eyes on her engagement ring. I watched Alice attach herself to Bella like a pesky tick. It was at times like these that I felt guilty for having caused her this supreme discomfort.

She was a good sport, though.

I must admit, I was unsure of how she would cope with Alice's OCD tendencies when it came to planning events. Alice loved to host parties, regardless of whether there was anything to actually celebrate. It didn't matter to Alice that most of her parties were centered on inane events that would not even garner an e-card. She celebrated everything and anything within her reach. And each party was executed with a painstakingly exact attention to detail. Nothing was lost on Alice, not even an out of place napkin or unevenly placed candle.

This wedding was her own personal Mecca.

Finally, she had stumbled upon something that was actually worth celebrating. It was a wedding, and a real one at that. Sure, Emmett and Rosalie staged a wedding every ten years or so, but now she had found an untouched terrain. This meant that every detail, big or small, suffered under her scrutiny.

Her latest bout of insanity (in which there were many) included the tasting of wedding cakes. Even Bella, who was more patient with Alice than I could ever hope to be, felt this crossed the line.

"We cannot taste the cakes," Bella explained to Alice slowly. It sounded as if she were talking to a child, and I thanked God for making Alice on the receiving end and not Rosalie.

"It doesn't matter. This is all a part of having a wedding."

"Yeah, so is having a beating heart. We're just wasting our time."

"You only get married once, Bella."

My beautiful mate crossed her arms over her chest and retorted, "Oh really? Well, how many times have you and Jasper been married?"

Alice's mouth turned down into a frown.

"Technicality. Whatever. You will regret not going to this cake tasting if you back out."

"Need I spell it out any clearer, Alice? We. Cannot. Taste. Anything."

"Now, that is a downright lie. We can taste."

"Yeah, and it tastes like nothing."

"We still taste, though."

Bella looked over at me for help, but one look at Alice and I pretended not to see her. I could see Bella's angry face in Alice's thoughts. I let out a sigh of relief when her face settled into a frown.

"I'll go," she huffed. "And I heard that, Edward."

She stormed out of the house and as Alice followed her out she trilled, "Thank you, Edward!"

I frowned at being a grudging accomplice to Alice's scheme. Still, though, I would take Bella's wrath over Alice's any day.

**~*~BPOV~*~**

Wedding planning with Alice was difficult, but simply walking down the hallway of Forks High was downright painful. The news of Edward's and my engagement spread like a wildfire, and my acutely sensitive ears allowed me to hear every single rumor floating around the school halls.

"Ignore it," Emmett told me.

"They think I'm pregnant."

"Nah, Edward doesn't have it in him."

I smirked, "I wouldn't say that."

Emmett laughed heartily, nodding appreciatively. "I guess that's true now."

I felt his approach before I actually saw him. Emmett caught the expression on my face and said, "Let me guess, Newton?"

I nodded, and, just as I was about to ask him to stay, Emmett disappeared and was replaced by Mike. I glanced around for Emmett and frowned. I swear, sometimes I thought he planned these things.

"Hey," Mike said, shoving his hands nervously into the pockets of his jeans. They were worn and frayed at the bottoms.

"Hello Mike."

"So, is it true?"

"Is what true?" I asked innocently. He seemed to relax at this and said, "Oh, never mind."

I reached up to scratch the side of my face and the bright fluorescent lights hit the ridges of the stone. Even Mike, trying not to see it, was unable to ignore the ring on my finger.

"So it is true," he said morosely.

"If you mean my engagement, then yes, it is."

"You're so young."

"So?"

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"You just don't like Edward," I said, shaking my head. "And yes, I'm ready."

"Well, if he hurts you. I'll kill him."

I snickered at the thought and said, "Well, for your sake, I hope that never happens."

"I care about you, Bella."

He was looking at me earnestly and I swallowed hard. As if by magic, Edward appeared at my side. I didn't know what image was playing in Mike's head, but it must have been bad because Edward pulled me to his side with a barely concealed glare directed at Mike. I almost felt bad for him then, watching him cower entirely against his will. I wanted to tell him that it was okay. He didn't have to feel inferior for shrinking away from a natural born killer, but I kept my mouth closed.

"I guess congratulations are in order," Mike finally said. "You two getting married?"

"Yes, we are," Edward said.

"Mike was just telling me how happy he is for us," I lied. I thought that I had done a pretty good job with my fib, but Edward didn't look convinced.

"Oh, was he?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, good luck. What is it, fifty percent of marriages end in divorce today? You've got your work cut out for you."

I felt Edward tense and quickly moved to extricate ourselves from the conversation. I couldn't have Edward flying off the handle. Especially not when I was holding onto my control so tenuously. "We need to get to class, Mike. It was nice talking with you."

"You too, Bella. Remember what I told you."

"I will."

We turned and Edward muttered, "I really hate that kid."

"I know," I murmured, rubbing his arm soothingly. "I know."

"Do we really have to tell Renee about us today? I don't know if I can take anymore crazy."

I looked up at him and said, "Oh God, what did Alice see?"

"I shouldn't have said that, huh?"

"Edward-"

"She doesn't take it well."

"That's to be expected," I told him. "But I have a feeling it's more. Spill."

"No, I don't want to make you nervous."

"Too late for that, babe. What happens?"

Edward sighed. "Your mom _really_ doesn't take it well."

Oh dear.

~~oo~~

Edward and I stood in front of Renee's door, neither of us moving to knock. I was increasingly nervous as I imagined every scenario that could, and probably would, take place. While Edward had recovered from his previous bout of nerves, he was refraining from knocking as a sign of solidarity or something like that. I really didn't know. All I knew was that I didn't want to go into that house. I wanted to go back and just get married. Renee could find out through the newspaper.

I wouldn't do that, though. I could never do that to my mother, regardless of the news and all around bad feelings that coursed through my dormant veins as I stood in front of the door. So, gathering all my courage, I raised my fist and carefully rapped it against the door.

Once.

Twice.

I was going for the third when Phil opened the door.

"Bella," he said warmly, pulling me into a hug. He winced a bit at my cold skin but didn't make a comment. "We were worried that you wouldn't be able to make it."

I looked at the clock over his shoulder and saw that we were fifteen minutes late.

"Traffic," I answered with a sheepish grin.

Phil shook Edward's hand as I moved to the kitchen to see my mother. She was at the stove, cooking something that smelled like chili. You could never tell with Renee, though, for she was always making up different concoctions that could fool the most sensitive nose. I was right, though; it was a large steaming pot of chili which she nearly knocked over when I laid my hand on her shoulder.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, holding a hand to her chest. "You scared me."

I laughed nervously and said, "Not expecting me?"

"Well, I didn't hear the door open." She smiled and pulled me into a hug. I could feel my engagement ring push into her back and wondered if she noticed.

"Now, let me see you," she enthused, pulling away. "Bella, you are absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you," I said, noting silently that if I were human I would have blushed. "You look nice too, Mom."

"Oh stop," she said. "I'm getting old."

"No! You don't look a day over thirty."

She grinned and then her eyes fell on my left hand. The smile stayed there for a moment, making me think that perhaps Alice's vision had been wrong, but then she frowned and took a step back, knocking into the stove.

"No," she breathed out, her eyes wide. "Bella."

"Edward," I called out softly. He walked in suddenly and took his place beside me.

"I don't believe it," Renee said, looking between Edward and I. "This is unbelievable."

"Mom, Edward and I are engaged."

"No, you're not," she said immediately, shaking her head. "You're eighteen. That's ridiculous."

"Mom-"

"No, I won't allow it," she said. "You're too young. I…I won't have what happened to me happen to you. I won't, Bella."

"Renee," Edward began, his voice soothing. "In all fairness, this is entirely different."

"No," Renee said harshly. "It is completely the same. I met Charlie and I was entranced. I was a fool and I married him when I wasn't ready." She turned toward me. "Bella, please, don't do this. Don't make the same mistake that I made."

"I'm not making a mistake," I said levelly. "I love Edward."

"That's what you think now but what about later? What about a month from now, a year? He broke up with you already, Bella. He'll do it again."

"Excuse me," Edward broke in, but I laid my hand on his arm to quiet him. This was my mother, and ultimately, it was my fight.

"That won't happen again," I told her, my voice hard. "That won't ever happen again. We were confused, but we're not anymore. I am in love with him, Mom, and he is in love with me."

"Baby-"

"I've made my decision. This is my life, and I will live it whatever way I choose. I choose to live it with Edward."

She looked defeated, and while I felt a surge of triumph at getting my message across, I also felt guilty. I could tell that I had hurt her but there was no other way. Edward and I were getting married with or without her blessing.

Renee didn't speak for a while, and when she finally did, all she said was, "Does your father know?"

"Yes."

"And he approved?"

"No, but he understands that Edward and I are meant to be together."

"Charlie understands that?" Renee asked. "Are you sure that we're talking about the same man?"

I nodded, and for an excruciating moment, I thought that she was going to turn away. Instead, she began to laugh, a soft tinkling laugh that grew in momentum until she was bent over, holding her stomach.

"Mom?"

"Were those your father's words or yours?"

"Mine," I said slowly, not entirely sure if my mother was in her right mind anymore.

"Oh, wow," she said, wiping her eyes. "Right, I should have known."

"Edward and I are getting married," I said, hoping for some reaction that would say that Renee had not gone entirely crazy. She looked at me and answered, "I know, and if you ask me it is a stupid ass idea."

I smiled.

"Do we have your blessing?"

"Yes," she said with a long sigh. "You have my permission to go make a mess of your lives."

To be honest, that's really all I could have asked for from Renee.

~~oo~~

Edward and I walked into our house, and despite being a vampire and not necessarily needing rest, I felt completely drained.

"Well, I think that went well," I said.

"Are you kidding?" He said, looking at me oddly.

"Yes."

"Were you at the same dinner that I was?"

"Yes, I was."

"And you think it went well?"

I sighed, peeling off my coat. "You just don't know Renee like I do. That was my mother giving her stamp of approval. Trust me."

"I think you deserve better."

"You can't blame her," I said. "She doesn't know everything. She doesn't understand it all."

"That doesn't mean that she shouldn't support her daughter."

Esme descended down the stairs and looked sympathetically me. Reaching forward she gently laid a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I heard what happened."

"Nothing happened. It's just how my mom is."

"Well, I agree with Edward. She's your mother, therefore, she should support you, regardless of what she thinks."

"That's not how Renee works. And I know that, so I'm fine."

I could feel the waves of pity coming from both Edward and Esme. I shook my head and said, "I'm going to go for a run."

I should have seen that this would cause more concern. I never go for runs, and they saw through the ploy immediately, but neither of them gave me opposition. They told me to do whatever I had to, and I thankfully left the house. I would be alone, and for that I was ecstatic.

Little did I know what Esme was planning in my absence.

**~*~Esme POV~*~**

I was surprised that Edward didn't stop me. My plan probably read like a novel to him in my mind but he did not one thing to deter me. I'd like to think that it was because I am his mother, but I think it had more to do with him wanting to keep an eye on Bella. He didn't want to tear himself away from her to deal with me. Well, it worked to my advantage. I chose to take a car to Renee's. The ride felt painfully long despite it not being far. The truth was that I did not look forward to what I would have to discuss with Renee. Still, though, it was necessary. Behavior such as hers could not be tolerated, especially not toward someone as magnificent as Bella.

I pulled in front of Renee's house and climbed daintily out of the car. I could see her husband peek through the front curtains as I walked forward. He met me at the door and said, "You're Esme Cullen, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, is your wife home?"

"Yeah, you want to talk with her?"

I nodded again and he let me into the house. He eyed me warily, and I wondered if my previous behavior made him believe I had no conversational skills to speak of. Renee descended the stairs to my left, and I smiled up at her.

"Mrs. Cullen, what a surprise."

"Please, call me Esme."

"Esme," Renee said slowly, as if she were testing it out. "Alright, what can I do for you?"

"I'd like to speak to you," I glanced at her husband and gently added, "Alone, if possible."

"Sure, Phil, do you think you could grab some groceries for me? We're out of milk."

"Yeah, sure. It was nice seeing you Esme."

I smiled at him and replied, "You, too, Phil."

When he walked out, Renee went to speak, but I interrupted her swiftly, asking if we could sit down. I felt uncomfortable conducting this while standing. She nodded and we both sat down, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap.

"I understand that Bella and Edward spoke to you earlier."

Renee nodded. "Yes, they did."

"I heard you did not welcome the marriage easily."

"I don't believe in the potency of young love," Renee answered dryly. "Still, though, I gave my blessing."

"I don't mean to overstep, but what makes you so hell-bent on believing they will fail?"

Renee was surprised by my question, and to be honest, so was I. In my head I had been planning on phrasing that more gently. "Well, I had an experience much like Bella's. It was with her father, actually. He was one of my first boyfriends, and I fell in love with him. I married him, had a child with him, and then felt completely trapped with him. I was young and somehow found myself tied down with a husband and daughter. I missed out on a lot of opportunities, and I don't want that for Bella."

"I don't mean to be blunt, but Bella is not you, Renee, and Edward is most definitely not Charlie. Isn't it a bit unfair to judge based on a false comparison?"

"I just want what's best for my daughter."

"Your love and support is what is best for Bella."

She stared at me for a moment, and I thought she was going to challenge me. I think that she was for bit, but then she sighed and said, "You're right."

"I'd like you to come over to the house today to come up with a wedding announcement. I already have the publication chosen as to where it will appear, but I would love for you to take part in the content."

"Shouldn't Bella and Edward do this?"

"If they did it would simply read: Edward Cullen and Bella Swan married. Neither are too keen on the finer points of this wedding."

"Glad to see there's some of me left in that girl," Renee joked.

"Will you come?"

It took her a moment, but ultimately she nodded in agreement. When we left, I felt triumphant.

**So...what cha think so far???**


	17. Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 2

**Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 2**

**~*~BPOV~*~**

When I returned from my run, I was met with an empty house, well, almost empty, Edward was still there, alone and apparently rather frisky.

He met me at the front door and carried me at lightning speed to our room, and had my clothes off before I even hit the bed.

Edward ran his tongue down the curve of my collarbone, pressing a soft kiss just above my heart. His mouth moved further down until it covered my nipple. He sucked gently and I pressed down on his head for more pressure, threading my fingers through his hair. I sighed contentedly.

"Will this ever grow old?"

He removed his mouth from my breast long enough to murmur, "I hope not."

He continued his ministrations and I chuckled, ruffling his hair. "You know, Edward, I never really considered that we are immortal." My back arched as his teeth teased my peak. "Just think, we get to do this for eternity."

His lips travelled to mine in an instant and he said, "Love, you're turning me on."

He pressed against my thigh, and I felt desire pool between my legs. I placed my hands at the nape of his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss. His lips were incredibly soft against my own and it seemed, then, that my legs went around his waist of their own volition. The pace was set on its own, as well. It almost seemed second nature now, to join with him as one. His breathing accelerated, and I felt mine rise as well. The bed creaked beneath us, but I couldn't care less. The tension was beginning to build in my stomach, and the sensation of his mouth leaving hot open-mouthed kisses on my neck made my head spin.

He stopped suddenly.

"Edward?" I rubbed his back. "What is it, babe?"

"Shit, we should stop."

"What? Why?"

"Your mother's here."

"Renee?"

"Yes."

I kissed him hard and grabbed his buttocks. "We have to finish what we started."

He looked at me with a devilish grin and said, "With your mom right downstairs?"

"Why not?"

"You'll have to keep quiet."

"I am capable of that," I challenged, giving his ass a tight squeeze. "The question is, are you?"

His hips slammed against mine in answer.

**~*~Esme POV~*~**

"How about 'two lone stars find their orbit'?" I asked, studying Renee's face for her reaction. "It's different, no?"

"Yes, it is definitely different. I really think that Bella would like something that is more traditional, though."

"Oh, okay, well-"I stopped when I heard a soft moan. My gaze snapped upstairs.

No.

They wouldn't.

I heard it again and glanced at Renee. She was completely oblivious, looking down at the yellow notepad that I had provided for jotting down ideas.

Renee felt me staring at her and looked up. "What?"

"Nothing."

Thank God, nothing.

**~*~BPOV~*~**

"That was amazing," I sighed, placing a soft kiss on his shoulder.

"You didn't keep quiet," he teased.

"Yeah, well neither did you, mister."

He chuckled and tilted his head down to capture my lips with his. Once again, my body seemed to move of its own volition and stretched over his, my tongue exploring every inch of his mouth. He pulled away first.

"Let's not start something we can't finish."

"You're right," I said, standing up. "Let's go face my mother. Maybe she's taking back her blessing."

"I would hope not."

Hand in hand, we walked down the stairs.

Esme and Renee were seated at the dining room table. Both were talking emphatically, trying out different ridiculous rhymes. Many, coincidentally, rhymed with my name and I began to worry.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"We're working on your engagement announcement."

"What do you have so far?" Edward asked, slinging his arm over my shoulders. Esme shook her head and said, "Well, we are having some creative differences. Nothing worth telling yet. Tell me, what would you two like?"

I answered immediately with, "Edward Cullen and Bella Swan get married."

Renee chuckled and said, "See, I told you."

"We were thinking something more inventive," Esme replied. "We'll keep that in mind, though."

"We don't really care what you put in the announcement," Edward said gently. "That's not what's important to us."

"I know, I know," Esme yielded. "Alright, you two go and leave us alone. We have important work to do."

You didn't have to tell us twice.

Days later, we kicked ourselves for not staying in that room. The end result was so disastrous, so nauseating, that even Edward was unable to stomach it. Splayed on the pages of select newspapers in elegant Lucida calligraphy was an advertisement that read: Two souls have found their counterpart in life: Announcing the Engagement of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan.

"That is bad," I said after reading the advertisement. I read it again, hoping that I had somehow misread it, but no, I hadn't. "Edward, this is very bad."

"Maybe we should have taken control of this after all."

"Aw, look, two formerly hopeless souls," Emmett called cheerfully, slinging his arms on each of our shoulders. "How did it feel to find your counterpart in life?"

"Shut up," Edward muttered.

"Were there fireworks? An off-stage chorus?"

"I believe that was you in the background, Emmett," I said, patting his arm. "You have a lovely baritone."

"Why, thank you."

"We better get to class," Edward grumbled. "Mr. Borden is not in a good mood today."

"You mean he would actually dare to give a Cullen a tardy?"

"Yes, and a detention, as well. Let's go."

Edward's arm fell to my waist, and we walked to class.

**~*~Charlie POV~*~**

"My little girl," I whispered softly, looking down at the photo album on my lap. Pictures smudged with fingerprints looked up at me, all of them with her deep chocolate brown eyes and round cheeks. I reached down and made another fingerprint.

She seemed so different now. It was as if one day she was my little girl, and then the next she had become a woman. I couldn't detect her usual shyness as easily, and there was something else, too, something that I couldn't place. She was always cold.

Hm...

I should probably convince her to see a doctor about that.

Anyway, there were all these changes in my daughter, and they all seemed to happen after she met _him_.

Edward pain-in-the-ass Cullen.

I felt as if everything had changed since he entered her life. Suddenly, I had to worry about boys and if she was making smart decisions. I had to think about _the talk_ and constantly lubricate the gasket of my shot-gun just in case Cullen overstepped his bounds.

Not that I would actually use it, of course. I just wanted it to be as realistic as possible if I had to force him from the house.

I had to admit, though, she seemed happy. All she did was sulk when she first got here and things got better when she met him. Did "love" really solve everything?

I shuddered at the thought.

She was still a little girl to me. She was too young to have these feelings. God bless her soul, too young to get married. I really had no choice, though, did I? I saw from the get-go that he was trouble, and one look at them together told me that she was hell bent to believe otherwise.

Looked like I was going to have to get used to the Cullen kid.

There was a sudden knock on my door, and I closed the book and stashed it under the table. I rose from the couch and went over to open the door.

Speak of the devil.

"Hello, Mr. Swan," Edward said, nodding his head quickly in deference. He looked so God damn upstanding that I couldn't help but mumble something cordial as I stepped aside.

"What can I do for you?" I asked curiously, closing the door behind him.

"I wanted to talk to you about Bella."

_Trouble in paradise?_

I could only hope.

"Is everything okay?"

Edward nodded immediately, and my hopes fell. "Oh yes, everything is fine. The wedding plans are advancing well. It's nothing like that. I simply wanted to come and offer my apologies for not asking you for permission to propose."

_Well, I'll be damned._

"My proposal was rather sudden."

I didn't like the sound of that and set my mouth into a steely frown. He caught on quickly, though, and said, "It was thought out and everything, of course. I love Bella and was more than ready to marry her. I just didn't get around to visiting you, talking with you."

He gestured to the sofa, and I felt a surge of embarrassment that I had not been the one to ask him to sit. Wanting to regain control of the situation I told him, "No, let's go in the kitchen. I think I need a beer."

Edward chuckled. "I promise you this won't be too painful, Mr. Swan. I really just want to get to know you better. You are going to be my father-in-law, after all."

"The beer has nothing to do with you," I said offhandedly and pulled one out of the fridge. I considered offering him one in an act of solidarity but chose to drink alone. He may have the prepossessed manner of a twenty-one year old but I was pretty sure that his driver's license would say otherwise. He sat down, and because I was still standing, I found myself looking down on him, feeling this immense sense of power.

I had an idea, then.

"Edward," I said. "How about I talk first?"

**~*~EPOV~*~**

I was going to get the talk.

It was as clear in his head as if he had actually voiced it. Sometimes people's minds are just a jumble of thoughts, but in Charlie's mind there was one thought and one thought alone.

He was going to make sure that I never hurt his daughter.

"Alright, for starters, I'd like to thank you for coming here today. It gets you some points."

I nodded.

"But it doesn't change the fact that you have already hurt my daughter. What was it, a year ago that you left?"

I didn't like thinking about that night, nonetheless talking about it, and I was sure that I looked uncomfortable as I said, "Yes, sir."

"She had a really hard time, Edward. She was hurt, depressed, just…she was broken. You broke her."

I heard in his mind that I had broken him, too. It tore him apart to see his daughter in so much pain, and I was ashamed that I had caused it.

"You came back, though." He paused, and what he was about to say silenced any refute that I was going to attempt. "And you brought back my daughter. Despite what I think, Bella loves you. I see it when she's with you. You know, it's obvious that she's crazy about you."

"I'm pretty crazy about her, too."

He nodded uncomfortably. "Well, you better hope it stays that way. For, um, for your sake."

I saw the shotgun clearly in his mind and fought back a smirk.

"I won't have you hurting her again," he said. "So, um, do you catch my drift?"

I nodded solemnly and told him, "Yes, sir, I understand perfectly."

"Good."

We stayed silent for a moment. He was thinking about what he should do next but principally on his mind was that there was a football game on in five minutes that he had wanted to watch. Taking the cue I said, "There's this football game on soon. It's the Colts, a home game. Would you want to watch it?"

"Um, sure." His voice was surprised. "You a Colt's fan?"

"Sure am."

We walked back to the living room, and I thought to myself that I was one step closer to gaining his trust. It was going to be a very, very long journey but the fact remained.

I was one step closer.

**~*~BPOV ~*~**

I was glad the first day back was out of the way, and I was able to move past it without too much incident. The calm, however, didn't last. As things began to settle down academically, mayhem rose from its ashes. It was as if everyone had become possessed by horny demons.

Valentine's Day was approaching.

The halls were decorated with red and gold streamers, huge hearts and cherubs. Every inch of wall space was adorned with some kind of festive icon. The Glee Club kids were selling candy-grams to raise money for some charity I didn't recognize, and the corridors were littered with student bodies whispering sweet nothings and exchanging lingering kisses. As the week progressed, however, it turned down right sinful; boys rubbing up on girls. Groping, grinding, slobbering hormonal teenagers who charged the air with their sexual frustration, to the point it was tangible in the space around us. The indecency of the touches made me cringe in one pointless breath, yet heat me up the next. By Thursday it was nearly intolerable.

Just after lunch, I watched in horrid fascination as Jessica pulled Lauren into the girls' toilets for a quick fumble before the next class.

I wanted to wash my fucking hands, too, damn it.

Great.

I silently followed them in - enjoying the grace and litheness of my steps and the fact I could probably creep up on a fly now without it knowing. I gently turned the tap and started to rub a foul smelling substitute for soap into my hands from the dispenser. I tried to focus only on what my hands were doing, but the 'Mmm's and oh's' coming from the cubicle behind me were a distraction I didn't want. I found myself unwillingly listening to the steadily rising heart beat of Jessica.

"Oh fuck, LoLo." She spoke in little over a whisper. "Your mouth feels so good on me, baby."

I stifled the bellowing laughter that I so desperately wanted to let go of; then struggled even more to contain it when an idea came to mind.

If I wasn't getting any because of Alice always barging in at the wrong moments, then why should anyone else. Their little antics were causing me to squirm as it was as I thought of Edward's mouth on me. I needed to get laid!

"God, Jess, You're going to fucking drown me." 'LoLo' choked with a giggle following it up.

I listened intently to their pulses racing - knowing it was kind of dangerous to let myself concentrate on the flow of blood through a human body - but the opportunity was too golden. When Jessica's heart rate peaked, and I could hear the underlying whimpers and shifting movements of her hips...I opened and closed the door loudly, then returned to the faucet and turned the tap again, but this time making sure it squeaked.

They both froze, then scrambled to straighten their clothes before cracking the door open and walking beside me to wash their hands.

"Oh, hey, _Bella_." Lauren paled where she stood - no doubt trying to come up with a viable explanation for why she just came out of the same cubicle as Jessica.

"Hey." Jess added bitterly with a weird little wave.

I smiled and continued pretending to wash up; wishing for the first time in a long time that I could share Edward's 'gift' and hear what they were secretly calling me. I knew to some extent what they would be feeling towards me, it was obvious...They were pissed, and very frustrated.

_Fucking ditto!_

It surely would add to the already mounting tension in the halls.

"Oh, hey, so I heard this _completely_ ridiculous rumor yesterday..." Jessica glanced at me from the corner of her eye while reapplying red gloss to her lips - seeing as Lauren had obviously kissed the caked-on shit off.

She looked at her reflection and rolled her lips together.

"And what rumor would that be this time, Jess?" I inquired, bored with the whole pretending thing already.

I would prefer to be having Edward bang me silly, but the human facade had to hold up if we wanted to stick around town for a while longer, and that meant school was a must.

"Well, I heard from Keisha, who heard from Miles, who got it from Chelsea who overheard Alice talking to Jasper about you and Edward getting married." She took a deep breath after spewing a pile of steaming shit out in one go.

I looked at her incredulously, shocked - even though I shouldn't have been - that it would work its way around so quick.

"I know right? Talk about total BS!" She took my stunned expression as a denial. "I know he likes you and all, or thinks he does, but come on, marriage? He is way too young and _hot_ to be tied down."

I glared at her audacity as her attention turned back to the mirror and the black gunky mascara she was touching up her lashes with after finishing up with her lips (she did need all the help she could get, after all).

"Fuck." She screeched as she poked herself in the eye with the wand.

I couldn't contain myself anymore and turned on my heel to leave so I could laugh freely at her expense.

"Oh, Jess?" I stuck my head back around the door to see her looking at me like a fucking pirate. "It's all true." I beamed and left the both of them standing there with their mouths hanging open.

I really was getting married to Edward Cullen.

Though with the way things were going, yeah, that could change.

I loved the man with everything I had. I loved his family, too, and classed them as my own already. But the mighty force, more commonly known as Alice Cullen, was stirring up a storm that was in danger of creating serious, irreparable damage.

When Edward and I had announced our engagement, she had, of course, been insistent about helping. She saw my reluctance and promised me she wouldn't let her planning get out of hand, and that Edward and I would rightly have the final say on everything.

It wasn't quite working out that way, and I was reaching the end of my tether. If I wasn't getting dragged off - mid make out with the promise of it turning into more - to dress fittings or meeting the florist, she was bringing home sample after sample of invitations and monogrammed napkins.

Like I cared what it said on something that would get used to wipe mouths and mop up spills.

Edward had been hovering in the background over everything, keeping out of it and leaving me to be completely stomped all over by a tiny fucking evil, devious pixie. Just once I wanted him to stand up to her alongside me. Just _once_ I wanted him to say 'Hey Alice...fuck off, it's our wedding'.

But it wasn't happening, and I was starting to worry a little about what the dynamics of our relationship would be after we were married. I needed someone who was going to be by my side and on the same fucking page; not someone that would throw me to the pack the first chance they got.

School, even though monotonous, was proving to be a haven and a hindrance all at the same time. I hated the overzealous idiots that roamed the halls, but loved the crowded sea of miscreants, too, when it allowed me to hide out. Not that there really was anywhere to hide from Alice.

_Maybe we were rushing into things._

Maybe not.

I sighed as I watched him sashaying through the crowds of 'virtually fucking' teenagers; his toussled, crazy sex hair - like a shining beacon above the hordes - came into full view. It would be at that part where - if I were still human - my heart would be racing at a dangerous pace as he approached me.

"Hi." He finally stood in front of me and leaned down to kiss me slowly.

Definitely...not...rushing...

My mind clouded as his scent tried it's best to intoxicate me.

"Hey, you." I whispered against his lips and licked my own once we pulled apart.

Lauren and Jessica decided to leave the confines of the restroom and grace the school with their presence again, and Edward balked at the glare I got from Jessica.

"Someone's a little _more_ than pissed!" He chuckled at her thoughts before his eyes glazed over and he took a huge gulp of unneeded air. He shifted precariously on his spot. "Why is Jessica screaming obscenities at you in her mind?" He asked.

"Um..." I chuckled as I thought back to a few minutes ago. "I um...kinda interrupted their 'play time'" I shrugged.

"That would explain why she called you a cuntblocker then." He laughed along with me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, steering me off towards biology.

"They know...About us getting married." I sighed and snuggled into his side.

"I know. A lot of people do, Bella. You're supposed to want them to know." He raised his eyebrow at my indifference towards our upcoming nuptials.

"Everyone's going to assume I'm knocked up...Therefore, the fewer people that know, the better." I groaned as images of the entire town stood around pointing at me, filled me with dread.

"Oh, I forgot, Alice is looking for you. She wants you to go look for gifts for the bridesmaids or something. I don't know." He kissed the side of my face.

I tensed up.

"What, Bella? It's just gifts; it's not like it's something huge." He shrugged and rubbed his hand up and down my arm.

"That is completely not the point!" I grumbled and crossed my arms over my chest, choosing to stomp off towards Mr. Banner's classroom and leave Edward trailing behind.

* * *

The rest of the day passed at a snail's pace, and I was in danger of grinding my teeth down to nothing in frustration.

Jessica and Lauren had wasted no time in making sure everyone indeed knew that I was engaged to the school hottie, and even helped fuel the thoughts of there being a 'bun in my oven'.

My mind screamed at me to remain calm and just ride it out, coming up with its own witty comments like, 'Exactly, I bagged the hottie that none of you bitches ever could before me', while the bigger part planned to massacre them all where they sat. The thought plastered a shit eating grin on my face...Which fell the moment the door swung open and the secretary walked in. She scanned the room until her eyes landed on me.

"Isabella?" She waited for my confirmation.

I nodded meekly as she walked over and handed me a slip of paper. It was an appointment slip.

The guidance counselor, Mr. Bates, had requested me to have a meeting with him tomorrow.

That could only mean one thing.

* * *

"Been a naughty girl have we?" Edward purred in my ear as he joined me to walk back to the Volvo once school was out.

"Yeah, real funny. 'Bella's got to go see the GC,'" I mocked and twirled my finger around in the air to show my enthusiasm for it all as I opened the door to the car. "How come all you get out of this is a huge pat on the fucking back, _stud_?" I glared at him as he dared to act amused at it all.

"Oh, Bella, _what_ has gotten your panties in such a twist?" He waited for my answer while holding his door open, looking at me over the top and resting his other hand on the roof.

He really didn't get it.

"I'm pissed is what's up! I have to walk around listening to whispers and assumptions of all those small minded idiots in there, and all you fucking get is admiring looks and congratulations! No one has congratulated me! They just look down their noses at me." I grumbled and climbed into the car; shutting the door a little more forcefully than I meant to.

"Bella, you're being completely ridiculous." His voice remained calm along with his manner, as he started the engine and pulled out of the lot.

"Ridiculous? You think I'm being ridiculous?"

"A little, yes."

"I'm not being ridiculous Edward! What's ridiculous is you sister cockblocking us at every turn. Ridiculous, is having to suffer all the testosterone and estrogen rolling around that God forsaken place back there. Ridiculous is admitting that hearing fucking Jess get munched on by 'LoLo' turned me on because I haven't had sex with my fiancé for what feels like a human lifetime!"

I hadn't meant for all that to spill out of my mouth, but it had, and I sat back and looked out of the window in embarrassment.

The car's speed increased a little, and he turned off onto a side road just a few miles from the house.

"Where are you going?" I questioned as I took note of the now remote surroundings.

"You're right. You're right, Bella." He stopped the car and unbuckled his seat belt in a blur.

He ripped mine from around me and pulled me into his lap, not caring for the damage he'd caused his beloved car in the process.

"Edward." I gasped when he ripped my shirt open and dove his head between my breasts, ravishing me with his mouth.

Something clicked inside of me, turned me on beyond belief. And regardless of everything that was going on between us, I had to have him right then and there. Edward seemed just as urgent. His hands were everywhere, grabbing me and groping me roughly. All I could do was moan and mewl. It had been too long in my mind since he touched me like that, so I didn't mind one bit. I egged him on by rubbing my ass in his lap and holding onto the back of his seat for leverage. My body purred at the friction his dick was causing against my heat.

"Too many...clothes." I panted when his hand stroked me through the fabric of my jeans.

He groaned and mumbled something about me being drenched before his hands blurred again.

Not a moment later, the clothes were gone, along with both our underwear, and he pulled me down onto his length with brutal force, slamming into my depths.

"SHIT!" I called and thrashed as he moved me along him. "Too long. I've...been without you...inside me for too...FUCK! So good." I used my grip on the seat, and the help of his arms, to ride him until I saw fucking stars.

"That's it baby...unghhh. Yes...Bella...." His words dropped off as I spasmed around him and screamed his name.

His hips started to jerk up to meet mine and quiver wildly. I knew he was reaching the point of no return, and with that thought filling me as he was, his face crumpled in concentration. He spilled his seed into me before his features relaxed into a serene mask, his eyes half closed and his jaw hanging slack. His grip on my hips had intensified before his hold loosened to as light as a stroke from a feather.

I collapsed against him as we both panted needlessly. His arms came up to encase me, and he pulled me into his chest.

"You were right; it had been too long." He mumbled against my lips with a chuckle.

"I fucking needed that." I climbed off of him and sat back in my seat while I calmed down.

I was still pissed at him, but wasn't about to tell him 'no' to sex when I so desperately needed it.

Edward checked that the coast was clear of stray ramblers and flashed from the car and back, bringing a bag of clothes with him.

"What? Alice made me put them in the car this morning. I had no idea why, because she kept going over a list of designers or something, but I guess I know why now, huh?" He shrugged and gave me his signature smile.

I shook my head at the two of them, they were unbelievable. I dressed and sat back with my arms crossed over my chest and sat in silence as he drove us home.


	18. Cupid's Lil Ut Oh part 3

**Cupid's Lil Ut Oh – Part 3**

**~*~Mr. Bates POV~*~**

Why, in my right mind, did I take this fucking tedious job again? Oh that's right; small town, less fucked up little whiners to 'guide' and 'council', easy money for little work...

But right now, I would love to be beating the beasties back from my door with a stick, like I had to at my last school.

I was so _bored_!

I had no work to do - except tidy my shit hole of an office up and I really didn't want to do that; besides, I liked my orderly mess – so, I chose to make a paper football and try flicking it into my cup of sludge that was supposed to resemble coffee. I'm sure it had been sitting in the pot in the faculty lounge for the past three days.

When I got bored with the paper football, I started to shuffle papers mindlessly around my desk; then I decided to see just how dizzy I could make myself by spinning around and around on my chair. After the tenth revolution my hands shot out to stop me...because chunks would have flown and decorated the walls had I not.

I deliberated if I could get away with jerking off before my next appointment, but then thought better of it when I noticed the time...and the generic tissue box on my desk to be empty.

A gentle knock on my door brought me some much needed clarity, and I straightened myself up and cleared my throat.

"It's open." I called and watched as it opened slightly.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" The girl stood there biting her lip and waiting for my response.

I drank in her features a little more than I should have before shaking my head.

"Yes...erm...Isabella Swan."

"Bella," she mumbled through gritted teeth. "Just Bella," she added, trying to tone down the offensive.

_Has issues with her name._

"Please, come in, sit down." I pointed to the chair at her side of the desk.

Fuck, it was covered in files and shit...I really should have tidied up. She looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Oh, let me just move those for you." I rushed around and made quick work of dumping them on the floor while ogling her fucking long-ass sexy legs.

"All right, just Bella." I smiled warmly as I returned to my seat and looked down at my notes.

I did a double take.

The girl in the picture, paper clipped to the file, looked different from the one sitting in front of me. 'Photo girl' was pretty, undoubtedly so, but the creature sitting across from me could hardly be labeled in the same bracket. She was freaking hot! I wondered which crowd she had become a part of to change herself so much. I quickly scanned over the file, looking for clues to help me understand Bella better. According to records, she was a model student...

Fucking super model in that tight little skirt and that top...so low...cleavage...my dick threatened to salute.

I mentally slapped myself and shook away the improper thoughts that were trying to fill my head.

She was bright too; advanced level in most of her classes, exceptionally good in science...Why was she here again?

Oh...yeah, now I remembered.

"So...First of all, how are you?" I inquired, while looking up from the folder in my hands, figuring I'd get the pleasantries out of the way.

"I'm good, thank you...Um, why am I here?" She narrowed one eye a little while shuffling in her seat.

_Likes to cut to the chase_.

"I was just wondering if the rumors I've been hearing about you over the past week or so are true; that you're getting married?" There was no way this shit was true...Why would she even consider tying herself down so young?

"They're not rumors." She stiffened slightly and raised her head indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh...Huh! So you aren't getting married?" I added, feeling stupid for listening to the gossip mill.

"Yes."

"Yes, you're not getting married?" I hedged.

"No."

"I'm a little confused...Are you or are you not getting married?" I could cut to the chase, too.

"Yes, I _am_ getting married." She rolled her eyes and twisted her mouth in annoyance.

"What the fuck for?" The words left my mouth before my brain had a chance to censor them.

To say she looked shocked was an understatement.

"Excuse me?"

"Um, please forgive me...um, you're so young, why would you even consider getting married at...what?" I looked back at the records. "Eighteen?"

"What has this all got to do with you?" Her arms folded tighter and pushed her tits up, making them strain against the buttoned blouse she was wearing...invigorating my now raging erection.

I was going to have to go to confession for this shit; to cleanse me of all the indecent fantasies stockpiling themselves in my mind about a student.

"Well, you have to admit that it's kind of sudden...and highly unusual. I was just wanting to make sure it was something you wanted and not something you were being pushed into." I looked skeptically at her, watching for any signs of coercion in her demeanor.

"I'm not being _forced_ into anything! Have you even looked at that file?" She gestured to the yellow folder in front of me.

"I'm not arguing that your record is impeccable, Miss Swan..." I started, but she interrupted me again.

"Then are you saying that I don't know my own mind? Or that you think I'm the sort of girl to become a lemming? Doing as she's told without question?" Her anger was rising and fuck was it hot!

**~*~EPOV~*~**

I was seething.

I'd followed Bella to her appointment to see the Guidance Councilor and had been loitering outside his office while she was in with him. And I'm glad I did. He, however, wouldn't be when I snapped his neck in two for the thoughts he was having about my fiancé.

"Then are you saying that I don't know my own mind? Or that you think I'm the sort of girl to become a lemming? Doing as she's told without question?" Bella was getting pissed off with his questions and insinuations.

She had become quite feisty since her change, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't make my dick do a happy dance.

_Oh fuck, sweetheart, don't cross your legs like that...just a little higher...damn. My God, she's sexy._

"Of course, I didn't mean to suggest such a thing, Miss Swan. Please, accept my apologies." The tone in his voice turned sickly sweet as he tried to reign back in the situation.

"Good." She clipped.

_Man is she feisty! Mmmm, I love that in a woman. Why did she have to be a student?_

"I was just worried that maybe you'd been...pressured into something you're too young for...that maybe you were being made to feel like you had no choice." He was trying his best to defuse the situation; little did he know he would have another 'situation' to deal with if he kept up his line of questioning and thinking.

"I don't suppose there might be another reason for such a rash decision?" _Like maybe you got knocked up like some southern hick? Please say no._

"Oh, my God! NO! I'm not pregnant!" Bella growled and glared at him.

My mind saw her through his eyes, and I was rewarded with the sight of her fidgeting and re-crossing her legs.

Fuck, she was a temptress.

But I wasn't the only one that thought so.

_God, I would go to hell gladly, right now, if only I could have those thighs wrapped around my ears for a while first..._

_Fucker! That's my fiancé!_

I'd taken as much as I could stand.

My hand reached for the door and I barged in to retrieve my woman. Bella looked startled, as did Mr. Bates.

"Can I help you?" He rose to his feet with a furious blaze in his eyes.

"No you cannot! Bella, Love." I held out my hand for her to take.

I wasn't about to leave her in here a moment longer with his repulsive mind. I wanted to rip out his eyes for the inappropriate thoughts he'd been having towards her. She rose to her feet and took my hand while glaring at the perverted teacher.

"Ah, I guess this is your betrothed then, Miss Swan." He sneered at me; the fucker actually had the audacity to sneer at me.

A low rumbling growl started to build from within me, fuelled by the rise of the green eyed monster from within my depths. Bella's arm wound around my waist in warning that I was on the verge of losing it, and she didn't want that.

"Yes." Bella squeezed me against her. "Now, I think this meeting is over, Mr. Bates, and I would appreciate you keeping your fucked up thoughts to yourself in the future." She had to push me to leave the room as I stood firmly in my spot, daring him to have even one more thought about my girl.

Her newborn strength proved more effective than my own. She pulled me by the hand and dragged me down the hall towards the fire door that everyone knew didn't set off the alarm. She was still seething with residual anger and almost took the door clean off its hinges with the force with which she pushed it open. Her hand shot out to grab it before it could slam into the wall, and her eyes grew apologetic for her reckless actions. Then, her apology was lost and replaced with anger.

"Great, just great!" She growled in frustration and stomped off towards the woods behind the school. "I knew this would happen. Didn't I tell you?" She turned to glare at me as I followed her, then, just as quickly, turned back and kept on marching away from me.

"What would happen?" I asked, exasperated with her mood.

"Everyone thinks I'm knocked up...'Poor Bella Swan, getting married because she couldn't keep her legs closed, and now she's got one in the oven'."

"They don't think that!" I huffed, running my hand through my hair in frustration.

She gave me a pointed look.

"Okay, so maybe _some_ of them think _that_." I amended. "It wasn't his thoughts of you being pregnant with my baby that pissed me off...it was the thoughts he was having of your legs wrapped around his ears that had me wanting to rip his fucking head off." I growled.

Bella's eyes went wide before glazing over. She took off in a flat-out sprint once we were clear of prying human eyes. I knew the look she just shot me and set off in pursuit with a raging hard dick getting a bit of a head start on me. When she reached a denser part of the forest she slowed and turned to face me.

"I guess it doesn't really matter what the fuck they think. They're not important."

"I love you, Bella. Nothing else matters but that." I closed the distance between us and forcefully took her in my arms. "Just promise me that mine are the only ears you'll wrap yourself around." I pouted for effect.

"I don't know...you'd have to prove to me that your skills are better than anyone else's." She teased while playing with the hair at the nape of my neck.

I growled and rose to the challenge. I grabbed her ass and tossed her up a few feet in the air, allowing me to hoist her onto my shoulders - so her pussy was right in front of my face. The sweet scent of her sex intoxicated me as she squealed and clutched at my head to keep stable. I let my tongue dart out and slip against the silky fabric of her panties. My arms ran up her back so I could support her while I blindly stumbled to find a tree to rest against. Once I landed at the foot of an oak, Bella grabbed a couple of its branches and held on for dear life as I reached up to rip off her underwear and thrust my impatient tongue into her depths.

"Holy shit!" She gasped uselessly and writhed against my face.

It only spurred me further. I would make damn sure that she would never doubt my ability to bring out the best sensations from her. I lapped and suckled against the full length of her folds and clit. Circling...nipping...stroking.

The branches she held groaned in protest at the strain being inflicted on them as she gripped them with everything she had. Confident that I had her weight secured with one hand, I reached around with the other and pressed two fingers into her. Fuck, she was so ripe and ready for me. The pumping friction that my fingers were creating was enough to send her sailing off into ecstasy. Her body shook and ground into my face more with every bit of herself that she lost, and soon my face was coated in her sweetness. Before she could come down fully from her high, the branches finally gave up their fight and snapped away from the tree. We fell into a heap on the ground, laughing and gasping. It took only a moment, and an 'I'm not through with you yet' look from Bella, to have me stripping out of my clothes and pulling at hers. We rolled around in the underbrush, touching and kissing before I found my favorite spot between her legs. I wasted no time in slipping into her and setting a steady pace.

"So..." I groaned and grunted as I slammed into her repeatedly. "Do I have your promise now?"

"Fuck yes! Oh, shit, that feels so good, Edward!" She moaned, pushing back and into my thrusts.

We became quivering wrecks in each other's arms over and over again before either one of us thought about stopping. We had no idea how much time had passed since we left the school, and neither did we care. All that mattered was that we were together, and we loved one another. Everyone else could go fuck themselves if they didn't like it.

**~*~BPOV~*~**

"You _just_ had me Edward...Seriously?" I looked at him incredulously.

"I can't help it that I want smexy time with my gorgeous woman 24/7. I already had to cut my lovin' hours down because of family and school and shit. If it were up to me I'd never leave your body for anything!" He chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I reached up and held its attached hand, tracing little circles on his palm with my thumb.

"Mmm, I think I like the sound of that." I moaned at the thought of him permanently lodged between my legs.

The thought stirred a fresh onslaught of desperate need for my fiancé's body. I unhooked his arm from around me without letting go of his hand and began dragging him towards the house.

"I thought you had just been complaining about me being insatiable?" He quipped playfully.

"Edward!" I looked at him as if he'd hurt my feelings. "You should know better than anyone that I _do not_ complain!" I stopped in my tracks and pressed my straining nipples against his shirt before reaching up on tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "I just tend to 'moan' a lot." I licked my lips and turned to walk away from him, leaving him to stew over my suggestive words. I gave him a sly, flirtatious smile from over my shoulder.

Not a second later, I heard a resonating growl building within him.

I turned to face him while walking backwards.

"You want it, tiger? Come get it." My hips swayed seductively as I winked at him; watching his resolve slowly dissolve.

He took a mere two strides and had me tightly in his arms, puffing his chest out and causing me to arch backwards from the intrusion of personal space. His arms grabbed my wrists and held them firmly behind my back in an iron like grip. I gasped as he swooped down and dragged my bottom lip out with his teeth.

I loved when he went all caveman possessive on my ass, or when he liked to be a little bit dominant. One time, he'd taken a liking to slapping my pussy. I swear to God I was a quivering wreck when he had finished. I came three times with just that simple action alone. When he'd added his elegantly long fingers into the mix, I became totally incoherent. When he'd finally had enough of deliciously torturing me, I couldn't move...couldn't think. I was a babbling mess for a couple of hours after, and he walked around with the biggest fucking shit-eating grin on his face for days afterwards.

I ground my hips into his as a means of attaining a little friction as he let go of my lip with a pop, only to capture it again with his. I loved how his lips molded to mine; how they gave under the pressure. He wasted no time in languidly stroking my tongue with his and tasting me. His hold shifted slightly as he moved both of my hands into one of his; the other sliding down to cup my ass. I would never get tired of this.

Just as I was allowing my senses to take over and enjoy the contact with Edward, his face set hard with annoyance.

"Alice?" I asked with a huff.

"Mhmm." He nodded curtly. "Maybe we can pick up with this later when she's not being so demanding."

"Demanding?"

"Ye...ah. She wants your opinion on something for the wedding....Hey Alice." He greeted her with tight lips.

A big part of me wanted our wedding to be done with already. Alice had taken over everything, and I had no sense of being a part of it anymore. I was just the bride and was simply going to show up. Oh, she'd ask my opinion on things and meant well enough, but it didn't matter what I said, she'd still order whatever the fuck she wanted, regardless.

"Hey. You finally put each other down for more than five minutes then?"

"Ha ha, funny fucker!" I couldn't help the snide comment from slipping out.

"Whatever, Bella, you know you love me so quit whining. You know, for someone who can't act for shit, you sure are a drama queen sometimes." She smiled innocently at me batting her lashes.

How was I supposed to know when enough was enough? When did I draw a big fucking line through it all with the world's biggest sharpie marker?

"So anyway, I need you to come with me to pick out some invitations." She bumped my shoulder with hers and bit her lip; no doubt trying to contain her excitement for shopping.

"But, Edward and I already did that...last week." I looked between them in confusion.

"Oh, Bella, I looked over the samples you picked, and they don't even go with the color scheme!" She rolled her eyes like I should get her point.

I didn't.

"But we liked those. That's why _we_ _chose_ them." I used my finger to point between me and my fiancé ...Who was remaining kind of quiet through this discussion. "We liked them." I added again while watching Edward's face. A glimmer of realization set in, and my frustration grew to insurmountable heights. "Edward?" I waited for him to jump in and tell her we would stick by our decision.

"Well, maybe..." His face scrunched up as if he was gauging the safety of his balls, should he agree with his sister. "She _does_ have an eye for detail, Bella." He smiled at me hopefully.

The only thing I could think about was an image of a camel being loaded with one straw too many.

Though, half-way through my train of thought ...the camel turned into me ...while Alice stood loading more than the one straw needed to break my back.

"I'm so on my fucking own right now." I mumbled quietly to myself, even though they would have heard me clearly. They both looked at me like I'd grown an extra head. "Fuck it!" I stormed off, pushing Edward with my shoulder as I went.

"Bella..." Again, his words dropped off as he looked at me in confusion.

"_Well, maybe_..." I mimicked "...you should just fucking marry _her_ then!" My eyes prickled with tears I was unable to physically shed as I took my leave.

I broke into a flat-out run towards the forest behind the house; leaving them both standing there with open mouths.

"Bella!" Edward called after me once he'd regained function of his voice, but to no avail.

I'd had enough.

I could take no more.

I loved Edward more than anything, but his nonchalant attitude irked me sometimes. All he had to do was say, 'Hey Alice, fucking butt-out!'

But no.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zip.

And for that reason, I was running at inhuman speed to get far enough away to think clearly about what I really wanted.


	19. Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 4

**Part four of Cupid's Lil Ut Oh!**

**~*~EPOV~*~**

"What just happened?" I stood looking between my annoying elfin sister and the spot that my fiancé had just disappeared from.

"Fuck!" I turned to run in the direction she had bolted off in, but couldn't seem to catch up to her.

I was the fastest runner in my family and could easily run up into Canada within an hour, but Bella's newborn form was still running on the remnants of human blood that raced through her veins alongside my venom. It gave her an edge that we had all long since forgotten. Just as I thought I was getting close to catching up to her, Alice came barreling up behind me.

I was just about to yell at her and chew her out for not taking no for an answer when her thoughts punched me in the gut.

I tuned in to her thoughts instantly and felt a paralysis creeping throughout my body.

_Bella, stumbling around the woods in a distraught state, stumbling over the undergrowth; eventually falling to the ground sobbing tearlessly. She comes back to me and calls off our wedding. Moments later, she crumbles to the ground, her eyes closed and her body limp. I can't seem to wake her. It's as if she's drifted into an unnatural coma, and, no matter what we do, we're unable to wake her._

I took an unnecessary breath and held it as more images danced before my eyes.

_I was sitting by my bedthat Bella was laying on - still motionless and deep in some kind of stasis. Alice enters and puts her hand on my shoulder. I look up at her hopefully, but fall deeper into despair as she shakes her head to let me know she's none the wiser to what has happened, or even if the woman I love will ever wake up again._

Pain like I had never felt gripped my insides, and I fell to the damp earth beneath me.

"We have to find her Alice...Now!" My body shook with racking sobs, and still not a single tear fell; yet I felt them none the less, cascading relentlessly down my face as I grieved for the love of my existence.

**~*~Seraphim's POV~*~  
**  
My father patted me on the back, smiling proudly at me because I seemed to be learning the ropes rather quickly. He handed me his quiver and his arrow and told me to try out my newly acquired skills. I was pleased with my progress, and I couldn't help but feel that, one day, I would be an excellent successor to my father. I left him at the edge of the forest and wandered into the thick brush, determined to prove myself worthy of his title. I traveled along a path in the woods, listening to the gentle sounds of the forest. The atmosphere was peaceful and serene, the birds singing, the wind brushing the leaves against each other in a sensual dance. I smiled up at the canopy of green, a beam of sunlight pouring through and bathing my face in the warmth of its light.

I continued on, reaching what I believed to be the edge of the forest. My fingers brushed along the rough bark of the trees when I stepped out into what appeared to be a meadow. There was a sudden rush of emotion, fueled by a searing edge of pain that seemed to swirl and eddy in the air around me, as though it possessed a body of its own. The agony was acute, and it made me feel ill and overwhelmed with the severity of it. I almost felt as though it was wrapping its arms around me and pulling me down into the sea of unparalleled sadness. I searched for the source and found a man curled up on the forest floor at the edge of the meadow, about a hundred yards to my right.

I wasn't worried about being seen by the man, as I was invisible to all humans, and I crept closer to him. Despite the discomfort I felt from the pain which emanated from the man, I was curious and intrigued by the sheer magnitude of his suffering. It was as though his emotions were being splayed open and exposed to corrosive acid, burning away all the love and replacing it with only pain.

I had never felt such strong emotions coming from a human in all my years, which were admittedly inferior to my father's experience. I felt I had witnessed enough love and pain to know that what the man felt was the latter in its extreme. I wondered if my father had felt such emotional intensity and for a moment I thought to seek him out, but decided there was no better way to prove myself then to end this man's suffering myself and give him the peace and comfort that came with the arrow of love.

I drew closer to the man, watching as his shoulders curled forward and his hands raked through his brilliant copper hair, pulling at the roots fiercely as he let out a soft, strangled cry. His whole body shook with his agony, and he sighed and moaned muttering quietly to himself. He pressed the heels of his hands into the hollows of his eyes, his shoulders sagging impossibly farther as the defeat gripped him and rocked his soul. I could not even begin to understand who or what has caused this man to feel such a staggering grief as this.

The man's posture stiffened, and his head snapped up. His entire demeanor changed, the pain that radiated out of him in waves was accompanied by nervousness and love so potent it nearly knocked me over bodily with the force of it. I staggered back a step as I followed the man's gaze and understood immediately why all three emotions ran so rampantly through him.

The woman who approached was stunningly beautiful, the match for which could only be found in the Gods that I myself knew. Aphrodite would be jealous of this lovely creature. Her long mahogany hair cascaded down her back, nearly to her waist in thick, soft waves. Her skin was porcelain smooth and alabaster, her lips full and soft and pink. Her eyes were a wide, deep amber with a heavy fringe of lashes that made her seductive and sweet at the same time. Her body was lithe and curvy, and the sapphire blue dress she wore hugged her hips and narrow waist in a sensual way. Each movement was like a dance; her steps smooth and sure as she made her way to the man who was hopelessly drawn to her. It was no wonder the man was completely enamored with her. Her beauty was unearthly for a human.

"Bella," the man breathed as he stood and wiped his hands nervously on his pants. His fingers twitched as she approached; the longing to reach out and touch her snapping out at me like a springing rubber band against my heart, making me want to put distance between myself and the man. His pain was so prevalent it felt like knives on my tender skin, but my desire to observe the couple was stronger because I wanted to help them and prove myself. I could feel the anger and hurt emanate from the woman named Bella as she stalked toward him, her fierceness electrifying and engaging.

There was something primal and driven about the couple; the urge for both to dominate apparent in the slightly defensive postures of each; while at the same time it was quite clear that the man was hopelessly in love with this Bella. What was even more interesting was that Bella seemed to be just as enamored with him, but she was blocking out the emotions in the strangest way, her pain and hurt, and . . . mortification eclipsing it.

"I'm sorry," the man said meekly as she bore down on him. His gaze fell to the forest floor as he shoved his restless hands into his pockets and toed the leaves in front of him.

"You're sorry, Edward? You're sorry?" Bella threw her hands in the air in utter exasperation as her voice rose, scattering the birds in the trees around them. The man, Edward, cringed and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"I am," he nodded sincerely, barely meeting her gaze before looking back down at the ground. "Alice only wants to help." His voice was low and tentative; the yearning to touch her so prevalent in his posture that I nearly reached out and did it for him. His fingers flickered toward her for an instant before he closed his fist tightly and crushed it against his side.

"Wants to help? For the love of God, Edward, she's taken over the entire wedding! Everything I've asked for has been completely disregarded, and you've just stood by and let it happen. Not once have you stood up for what I've wanted." She shouted at him. Her voice rang like bells around them, musical even in its fury.

I felt every word as it lacerated Edward's soul, every angry syllable crashed around him, shattering his hopeless heart even more. I knew that I had to do something to help him as the guilt that pushed through the pain pulled Edward further down into the swamp of his misery and he closed his eyes. He let loose a tortured breath, words falling from his parted lips without making a sound before he found his voice again.

"But, Bella, she's seen you on our wedding day, and you're ecstatic and glowing," Edward said to Bella, reaching out, his fingers trembling and unsure as the need to touch her floated around him and settled in a cloud that seemed to pull at the pain and blacken it further. His emotional fragility was a thunder cloud waiting to open upon him.

"She's seen me, has she? Well, I wonder if she's seen this." She paused dramatically and took a deep, irriated breath, "I'm not marrying you, Edward. Not like this. It isn't even our wedding anymore, so what's the damn point if I get nothing I want out of it?" She seethed at him, her lips curled back in an angry, stunning snarl. Even in her rage she was beautiful, in the most unfathomable way. I wondered for the briefest moment if she was an unknown Goddess who had come to earth to torment this poor man. I immediately dismissed the idea though, because, if she was a Goddess, she would surely be able to see me.

Edward's pain magnified and grew thick around him, funneling like a tornado as he processed the words of his lover. "But, you would get me," he said in a small voice, sounding so much more like a wounded child than a man.

"And you are all that I want, Edward, not this circus side show that Alice has planned. You haven't once tried to curb her, Edward, not once. I'm calling the wedding off." The hardness of her voice seemed to slice through Edward like a Samurai sword, and I could feel the fracture and divide of his heart as Bella broke it.

"Please, don't, Bella. Let me talk to her, just please . . ." Edward's voice cracked under the weight of his pain.

But, Bella's anger and hurt were too much for her, and she shook her head and turned away from him, a soundless sob shaking her body as she adamantly refused to marry him even though every molecule of her body seemed to ache for him. It was her fear that seemed to override it all. Edward sank to the forest floor, fingers going immediately to his hair as he curled in on himself and the devastation rocked his body.

I could not bear to see this man in such agony when I knew that Bella's own pain was equally as palpable. I couldn't understand why she would choose to deny herself the one thing she clearly desired. I decided that it would be in their best interest if I were to intervene and I could only think about how pleased my father would be when I could demonstrate my abilities as the rightful successor as the God of Love.

Bella bowed her head and placed her hand over her heart, the ache surrounding her so poignant that her breath came in stilted gasps. I pulled an arrow from my quiver and kissed the tip before raising my bow. I aimed at Bella's aching heart, drawing the arrow back and releasing it with a snap. Bella's head raised just as the arrow pierced her chest and she inhaled a deep, sighing breath. Her eyes drooped heavily with the potency of the arrow as it took its effect on her.

"Edward," she whispered, her voice dreamy and far away as her fingers trailed over her chest and along the soft swell of her belly and it brushed past her hip and dropped lazily to her side.

I must admit I was quite pleased with myself, knowing I had done this couple a great service.

I pulled back on the bow one more time and shot the last arrow at Edward's crumpled form, just as a massive beast of a man fell at his side. I sheathed my bow in my quiver and left the lovers to their own devices; certain that Bella would now acquiesce to Edward's proposal and go along with the wedding as planned. I pulled out the log book my father had provided for me and cheerfully wrote in the date and the names of the lovers I had touched with Cupid's arrow, sure that I would win his approval.

**~*~EPOV~*~  
**  
I pushed Emmett aside as I watched Bella's expression change so drastically that I was sure I had imagined it. Her fingers fluttered over her breast softly and the sigh that fell from her lips made me long to press my mouth to hers and kiss away the angry words she had uttered. One moment there was fierce rage in her which I found unbearably sexy and then debilitating sadness that shrouded me in guilt, the next it was as though she was dreaming and distant, slipping away into a world I wasn't privy to. I couldn't discern the moment when the change took place, I only knew that it had happened.

My name tumbled, dreamy and soft, from her lips as she blinked sleepily at me, her lips curving up slightly as her fingers trailed slowly down her chest and over her stomach, grazing her hip before resting at her side. The movement was peaceful and very nearly erotic, as though Bella was imagining my fingers trailing the same path along her body; although under the current circumstances, I doubted very much that that was the case.

I inhaled the scent of her and realized that something _had_ happened in the seconds that had passed to change her mind. A foreign smell had invaded her body and was now coursing through her veins. Along with it was the scent of her intimate arousal and my mouth pooled with venom for reasons that had nothing to do with the hunt for blood, and everything to do with the hunger I felt for her body.

I rose from the forest floor, ready to wrap my arms around her and promise her anything she wanted, as long as she would marry me, in whatever capacity she felt capable. I would gladly elope as long as the anger and disappointment she was feeling would stay buried under this new desire.

**~*~BPOV~*~  
**  
I felt the rush of anger and sadness leave me in what felt like a waterfall of spent emotion. For a moment I felt empty of all feeling, and then, as suddenly as the emotions had left me, they returned, filling me to brimming with a longing and a love so overwhelming with its force that I felt leavened with it. I felt drunk, although I had never been intoxicated even as a human, I could only imagine that was how it would feel. I knew it to be impossible, but if felt as though Edward radiated that same love back to me and all I wanted to do was press my body along his and absorb the emotion that seemed to course though him. I could see it in the air, the way it appeared to leave his body for mine in sweeping tendrils of pink tinted light.

The world seemed to take on a sweet, dreamlike quality to it, and I tried to take a step toward my lover to tell him that I wanted nothing more than to marry him, and be his for the rest of eternity. But my body would not comply, and try as I might, I couldn't seem to make my usually agile limbs succumb to my will. They felt so full of a syrupy love that they were weighted down. I whispered his name, the word sounding foreign and strange and distant as the images before me blurred and distorted. The world became a halo of colors, and as I closed my eyes, I found I couldn't bring myself to open them again.

I could feel my body sinking slowly, and the sound of Edward's panicked voice permeated the haze of sweetness and love. I felt the warmth of his fingers on my skin and the strength of his arms around me before there was nothing but blissful oblivion, followed by lovely images of Edward and I together and alone, making endless love to each other.

**~*~EPOV~*~  
**  
I held Bella's slender form in my arms, trying to understand what had happened. It felt for a moment as though Bella was my fragile human lover again, and that her body might break with the strength of my grip around her, but the feel of her body against mine confirmed that this was not possible. She was changed and mine and she had called off the wedding because I had been unable to voice my need to keep Bella happy to my demanding and pushy sister.

Truthfully, I wanted the lavish wedding that was being planned. I wanted to parade Bella in front of all of those people so they could see that she was mine and always would be. I wanted everyone to see that, against all odds, she had chosen me, of all the possibilities before her, and there were many, that she was so very unaware of. She wanted me, at least she had, until I had allowed the insanity of the wedding to take over, and I had forgotten just how much Bella hated being the center of attention.

I had trusted Alice's visions, the ones that had shown Bella smiling and gorgeous, staring into my eyes as we exchanged vows. Alice had managed to keep the dress hidden from me in the visions she had provided, but I didn't need a dress to know that Bella would look stunning on our wedding day. Now that the visions were being proven false, I was beside myself with regret.

"Bella? Love?" I murmured against her hair as I pressed my lips to her temple. Her body was still and unresponsive which should not have been possible considering the heat that emanated from her. And the foreign scent that permeated her was so intense that I felt as though I was completely immersed in her body.

The only other time I had felt like this was what seemed liked ages ago when Bella had been asleep and dreaming, but even then there had been small sounds that drifted through the air and landed on my lips and my tongue as the dream had seemed to push her close to an invisible edge. But now, there was no sign of life in her undead body, and it was as if she had passed out, which certainly was not possible for a vampire. I was immediately panicked because the only other time she had been still and silent was when she was being changed. I lifted my would-be wife into my arms with gentle care and ran with her toward the house.

I turned to see what Emmett the goof was doing, and blanched when I noticed he, too, was sprawled out on the forest floor, unconscious. I quickly called Rose and told her to come and get Emmett before taking off with Bella securely in my arms.

My anger rose, both with myself and with Alice. I wanted to blame someone, but felt unable to lay it on Alice when I so easily should bear the burden. If I had just listened to Bella's wishes and had tamed Alice in her rampant desire to hold a grandiose event, then I would never have angered Bella to the point of calling off the wedding. And now she lay limp in my arms, unmoving and unaware of the ache that had taken over my body as I held her still form in my arms and waited for a sign that she was okay. I was beside myself with the agony of my errors.

I burst through the door of the house, denting the steel frame with my fingertips as I did so, because I was unable to control my fear. The family surrounded me in a blur of movement and Alice met my angry and desolate stare with a guilty one of her own.

"I'm so sorry, Edward, I should have known..." she murmured her apology and hung her head as images flashed through her mind and into mine. They were a jumble of dreamlike slides, nothing clear or focused. I growled angrily and shook my head trying to shut her out.

"That's not helping," I snapped at her.

I clutched Bella's still body to my chest, pressing my nose into her hair, as though breathing her in would cause her to rouse. I didn't care if she woke and yelled at me, or tried to run from me as I would follow her anywhere, just as long as she was conscious and I could see the anger or sadness or disappointment in her eyes. I would take anything but the stillness that currently enveloped her.

"What happened, Edward?" Carlisle asked gently, placing his hand on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me, but his words and touch had no effect on the fear and devastation that gripped me.

"I don't know." I groaned despondently, "We were arguing, and Bella called off the wedding. One moment we were having an argument, and the next she was unconscious. Rose is gone to get Emmett, he is unconscious, too. How is this even possible, Carlisle?"

Carlisle shook his head at me in confusion. He had never seen anything like it, and his thoughts were clouded with concern and uncertainty as he tried to recall a time when this had occurred before. No vampire he had ever encountered had passed out. _Leave it to Bella to be the first vampire to lose consciousness, _he thought ruefully. I glared at him, and he shook his head, murmuring a quiet apology. He ushered me into the living room and encouraged me to lay Bella down on the sofa so he could check her vital signs. Of course, the regular signs of life could not be detected; there would be no pulse, no heart rate, no movement of her chest as she took in the necessary breaths to keep her body alive, because she was not alive.

I smoothed her thick hair back from her face and kissed her forehead, murmuring words of love and apology to her as Carlisle tested to see if venom was still running through her veins. He took a sample from her arm, and I pressed my lips to the spot, sealing it with venom from my mouth as Bella lay motionless on the couch before me.

The taste of her was different; there was something warmer than usual about her venom, just as I had felt her body was warmer as well. It was as though she had been infused with something far sweeter than I ever remembered tasting, like her venom was laced with sugar that tasted amazing. Even her blood had not been as sweet and luscious as whatever seemed to be coursing through her veins now. I pressed my lips against her forehead and let my tongue touch her skin. The sweetness was everywhere, in her scent, on my tongue, all over, and I wanted to know where it could have possibly come from.

I looked to Alice for some indication that she could see the future and what it held for me and the woman I loved, but she shook her head sadly, the images that came forth were just as jumbled and dreamlike as the ones that had first assaulted me when I came into the house with Bella in my arms. I could see nothing, and that fact pulled me deeper into myself imposed exile of anguish.

"Please, come back to me," I whispered in her ear, my lips touching the soft skin and silken strands of hair as my fingers drifted down her arm. "I'll give you anything you want, love." Just then Rose burst through the door, a hulking Emmett in her arms and a look or pure anguish marring her perfect features.

Minutes turned to hours as Carlisle poured over books and searched the internet for information, each time coming up empty handed. I pulled Bella's still body into my lap, curling her into me like a sleeping child as I whispered words of love and promise, praying to a God I had never put faith in to bring her back to me.

**~*~APOV~*~**

I didn't like the idea of leaving at a time like this, but I really needed to be away from all the tension in the Cullen house at the moment. Edward was a total mess and not likely to change until Carlisle could get Bella out of the strange coma she had fallen into after having a fight with Edward. Oddly enough, Emmett, too, had fallen into what appeared to be the exact same coma-like state. Rose was damn near hysterical and, of course, Edward blamed himself for Bella's coma, and that's why he was a total wreck. I felt for them, I really did. But I couldn't stand to be there anymore. The house was filled with deep sorrow and pain from everyone. Jasper was having a hard time calming us. We both needed a break. I felt guilty for leaving my family in their time of need, but in a way there was nothing I could do but sit around waiting and hoping Bella and Emmett would awaken from their deep slumber some time soon. Carlisle had been busy trying to find answers and cures, but nothing seemed to be working.

I must admit I didn't understand why this happened. I had no idea, it wasn't like Bella had been hanging around Jacob much. So really, I should have had a vision sooner, more vivid, more explanatory. But I didn't. Maybe it had do to with one of my other visions…

So Jasper and I decided to leave for a bit. Jasper wanted to go to Alaska, rent a cabin and stay there for a few days. I didn't mind where we went, as long as we went somewhere far from the house and just us. I promised the others I'd call if I got any more premonitions.

Once we said our good byes to the others, we were on the road. The drive was silent, but the silence didn't bother either of us, it never had. Jasper was the one who suggested we leave. We both couldn't bear the strong and sad emotions that burned like paper through the house. Every one of us was concerned for Emmett and Bella, but as I've said before, we really couldn't do anything but sit and wait.

I hated to even try to imagine what Edward and Rose were going though. I don't know how I would mange if something like that happened to Jasper. I hated to even think about the possibility of it happening to Jasper. I wouldn't know what to do. I suppose I would act just like Edward acted; sad and depressed.

* * *

The cabin was made out of wood, the same wood as the trees that surrounded it. It was small and cozy and very comfortable for two lovers. But, we weren't there for that, we were there for a break, which possibly could involve that.

We only had one duffle bag, which had a few pairs of clothes and two brown parkas. Jasper unlocked the door and lightly pushed on its wooden knob. He dusted off his shoes and entered. I copied his movements, and then ran my hands over the hard wooden wall, searching for a light switch. I found it, and flicked the switch. The light bulb overhead took a few moments to light up. Its glow was a bright white-yellow. The cabin held one queen-sized bed, a wooden makeshift nightstand, a coffee table and a light brown sofa. The kitchen was small. The cupboards were a dusty creamy color, which matched the counters. I dumped the duffle bag on the bed and sat down next to it. The bed squeaked in protest under my weight. I looked around the small cabin. There wasn't much to look at, but it would be home for a few days, at the most. Jasper stood in front of me, looking down at me. He had a small smile on his face. His smile wasn't enough to make me smile, though. He reached for my wrists and pulled me off the bed and into his arms where I breathed in his familiar sent.

"Jasper, what if Bella and Emmett never wake up?" I asked, my head buried into his shoulder.

"Alice, they'll be fine. Carlisle will find a way." He answered. He was sure of that, I could tell. I sure hoped Jasper was right. 'Cause for the first time in a very long time, I, Alice Cullen, was not sure of a single thing.

I cuddled closer to Jasper; I needed comfort.

Jasper removed one of his arms from around me and tilted my head up toward his.

"Alice, you need to take your mind off of this."

"How can I possibly do that?" My voice was filled with sadness, sadness I didn't want. I was a happy person; this sadness didn't match me or suit me at all.

"I have an idea!" He voice was somehow excited. I chuckled a bit, still not feeling any happier. I knew what his idea was; I could read him like an open book, even without my visions. So, I nodded up at him, letting him know I was okay with it. I hoped it would take my mind off of things. I was pretty sure it would; it normally did.

He lifted me by my thighs and laid me on the bed, putting his knees on either side of me. He pulled off my top as I ripped his to pieces. Next were our pants, they were off quicker than our tops. In record time we were both naked and kissing each other. My hands roamed his body, and his hands claimed mine. His kisses trailed down my neck to my collar bone, and I groaned in delight.

"Jasper…come…on!" I pleaded desperately. He sat up a bit, positioned himself at my entrance, then waited for another short moment. Teasing me. I grunted loudly when he finally plunged into me, filling me with him. I moaned in utter pleasure.. He came down on me, kissing me hard on the lips. My tongue tangled with his as he continued to push himself in and out of me with mind-blowing force and speed. A knot deep inside me started to build. He'd thrust harder and harder each time. He groaned, still kissing me hard. I dug my nails deep into this skin, leaving my mark on him.

The knot tightened one more time, and I knew I was lost.

The knot snapped and I screamed in delight, Jasper followed me to the brink only moments later with my name falling over and over from his lips like a mantra.

We cuddled up to each other as we came down from our high. He was right; he knew how to take my mind of Bella and Emmett. At least for a while anyway.

**~*~JPOV~*~**

Alice hadn't had any more visions, yet. And, somehow, I knew she was glad about that.

I didn't think she wanted to know anything more about this whole disaster. She didn't want to feel more pain or more sorrow for what had happened. Though I know she wanted to help Bella and Emmett; she couldn't stand the strong emotions that that house seemed to be flooded with. That's why we chose to leave for a few days. Our absence was pleasant for Alice and me. It was good to get away, but we had to go back. We both knew that. It would be wrong to stay away. So, even though Alice and I would have liked to stay longer, we headed back to our home in Forks.

The place looked the same as always. I could hear Rose sobbing and assumed she would be lying with Emmett's still form on the couch. Rain sprayed us as we walked up to the house. Sadness still washed over the house as we entered it. After saying hello to Rosalie who was, in fact, curled into Emmett's lifeless form and asking how he was, Alice walked over to a stoic Esme and wrapped her tiny arms around her in a fierce hug. I headed upstairs to the bedroom where Bella slumbered. I knew Carlisle would be in there and possibly Edward, too. I didn't bother knocking. I knew they heard me.

Bella lay in the single size bed. Her eyes lightly closed. Her brown hair spread out on her pillow. She looked peaceful, yet dead. Edward was sitting in a chair next to the bed, his hand around hers. He didn't look up when I entered. I decided to leave him alone and moved towards Carlisle who looked up at me with a grim face.

"No closer, I gather?" I said, my voice light as a whisper. Carlisle nodded. I wondered how long Bella and Emmett would be like this. It could be years, decades, an eternity even. I lowered my head and sighed deeply.

**~*~CPOV~*~**

I left Edward and Bella's room and went in search of my Esme. I found her in our bedroom, looking ragged and weary, yet beautiful; always beautiful. I sat beside her on our bed and held her hand tightly in mine; I never wanted to let go. She rested her head on my shoulder, and we both just sat there, quietly contemplating the what ifs. What if that had happened to me? I hated the thought. But I just had to voice the thought.

"Esme, dear? What if I fell into a coma similar to the one Bella is in?" I could hear the wonderment in my own voice.

She didn't lift her head as she answered. "Carlisle, I would find a cure. I would travel to the ends of the world and find a cure." Her voice was sweet and laced with sadness. I hadn't thought of that maybe, just maybe, there could be a cure somewhere out there. But, if there was, surely I would have heard of it.

Esme stood up. Still holding my hand she pulled me up with her.

We stood beside the bed. Esme was facing the window, and I wrapped my arms around her shoulder pulling her back into my chest. Flashes of thoughts, horrible, gut wrenching thoughts flashed through my mind. What if it happened to Esme? I felt a sudden wave of fear. What if it spread? Is that possible? Then anger flashed through me. No, I can't let that happen, and I have to wake Bella and Emmett up somehow. I can't stand this anymore. I can't bear seeing my children like this. There has to be something. "Esme, I can't bear seeing Edward and Rose suffer like this, let alone everyone else!" I cried.

She turned to me blood tears running from her eyes. She was crying. My Esme was crying! She let out a cry and hugged me back.

"I know, Carlisle! I know!" she cried.

I bent my head down to meet hers and kissed her on the lips lightly. She kissed me back pressing her lips hard against mine.

Slowly, we peeled off our clothes; our movements passionate and slow. We moved to the bed, and I slowly lowered her small frame onto the bed. With my body pressed against hers we continued kissing; she agreed to my silent request to be inside her. I slipped myself in, moving in and out slowly, gaining speed each time I slipped out and then back in. She moved her hips to match my thrusts. We rocked back and forth holding each other close, not wanting to let go. My orgasm climbed as I plunged into her. Her back arched, and she quietly groaned as she came. She was so tight around me; I exploded into her. She let out cry of pleasure and I did the same. I dropped beside her on our queen sized bed. We looked at each other and prayed nothing would split us apart, and that Bella and Emmett would soon wake up and everything could go back to the way things should be.


	20. Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 5

**Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 5**

**~*~EPOV~*~**

I had almost worn a hole in the floor. At least, that's what Alice kept telling me. I couldn't even begin to figure out how many steps I had taken, pacing up and down the length of my room, where we had laid Bella down.

I looked down at her still form. To a human's eye, she looked dead. To a point, they would be right…she was dead. But to me, she had been alive and breathing, even though her heart stopped beating long ago. I walked over to her and took her hand in mine, rubbing my cold fingers over hers.

"Bella, baby? I'm sorry…I'm sorry I was such an ass with you. I know you were mad at me, and you had every reason to be. I just hope that I'm not too late."

I reached over and ran my fingers through her beautiful brown hair, hoping that she could feel my touch. Carlisle had no idea what was wrong with her…he had ideas, though. He always had theories, but never answers. I don't think I'd ever been as frustrated with him as I was now.

I sighed, realizing it wasn't Carlisle's fault. I wanted answers, and he didn't have them. I had never been a patient person, and with what happened with Bella, I was even more antsy than normal. For all I knew, I was the one responsible for her coma-like state.

My family was pacing along with me downstairs, each scouring their brains, searching and desperate for a solution to our problem. Alice felt horrible, as she knew that we had been arguing about her and her over the top wedding planning. I wanted to comfort Alice, but really, what could I say? All of my half-assed attempts at soothing Alice would only fall on deaf ears.

I continued pacing, my mind raced with things that I could try. Nothing helped though, especially hearing my family's inner voices below.

_There's got to be something I've missed. What on earth could've made Bella and Emmett become like this? Maybe, if I can run a series of tests on her brain…_ Carlisle's thoughts were getting tedious, and it wasn't helping my mood.

_If only I hadn't kept pushing Bella's limits. I was so stupid! I put her under all that stress, and now she's in this bizarre coma. I don't even know if she'll be awake in time for her own wedding! Surely, she wasn't serious about calling it off. She couldn't have been. Oh my god, what will happen when all those guests arrive?!_ I rubbed my hand over my face and tried to control my breathing. Alice's thoughts were worse than Carlisle's…

_Edward, I know you can hear me. Listen, what if we try to tell her that Tanya is on her way, and that she's going to claim you as her own if she doesn't snap out of it. I'll tell her that Tanya is going to kidnap you and smuggle you back to Alaska, and that we're helpless to stop it. What do you say?_

I grabbed Bella's hand, once again, and as I was now accustomed to doing, I began talking to her. "Bella, I don't know why this is happening to us. I don't have any answers to give you at this moment…just that everyone is doing everything they can to help us. I know you said to forget about the wedding, and even if that's exactly how you feel about it, I don't care. I know it was my fault for not speaking up sooner, but please, don't be mad at me. I love you, and you're the only person that will ever make me happy."

There was no way I could go through this existence without Bella. Now that I've had a taste of what Heaven could be like, I was expected to go back to Hell?

I didn't think so.

My plan had been forming in my head since Carlisle couldn't tell me if Bella would ever recover. There was just no way I could live in this world without her. I thought about going to the Volturi and have them wipe me out, but that would require at least two days before anything major happened. Since they were old friends of Carlisle's, I wasn't sure how eager they would be to exterminate me.

On the other hand, there was the wolf pack that was just down the road from us. That had the advantage of being done right away, plus the added benefit that Alice couldn't exactly see them. The only problem with that was it would give Jacob the satisfaction of doing away with me…and I wasn't sure I wanted him to have that.

Not only that, but I wasn't even sure if Bella was dead. She wasn't breathing, but that didn't prove anything. She didn't have to breathe to survive. Everything mentally seemed to have shut down. What if I left, got myself killed, and she woke up? This has never happened to a vampire before, and I wasn't sure exactly what would happen. Carlisle said she could wake up at any moment…or it could take years.

Yeah…Carlisle's wisdom was endless.

So, I was stuck here, in this godforsaken room, pacing a hole in the floor. I wasn't sure how long I could keep this up. I was getting restless, and seeing Bella just lay there wasn't helping my resolve. I didn't know how long I should give her to wake up; if she, indeed, was still alive. Knowing our luck, I'd go and get myself killed (well, destroyed) and she'd wake up the minute I was gone.

I wasn't interested in a Romeo and Juliet type scenario.

I heard Esme's thoughts break through my own.

_Edward, sweetheart, please come down. You haven't fed in a while, and it's going to wear on you. Please, you need to keep up your strength for yourself and for Bella. She needs you strong enough to pull through for both of you._

I wondered who talked Esme into pulling out the Bella card to get me to feed. She was right, though – it was starting to wear me down. I'm sure I even looked dead by now, and who knows how Bella would react if she did wake up and find me barely hanging on to life.

Still, I couldn't leave her. Maybe I could talk Jasper into bringing me something to eat instead. Sort of like delivery…

I smiled a bit, as I knew it was the type of humor that made Bella smile. I turned and gave her a peck on the lips, told her I'd be right back, and headed on downstairs to meet my family.

Esme turned and saw me coming down and smiled brightly. I hated seeing Esme frowning for any reason, but most especially if it was because of me. I'd been with her longer than any of my brothers and sisters… I was her first child, and I'd seen her through her transformation. We had a peculiar bond - the only other that rivaled ours was the one she had with Carlisle.

"Edward, I'm so glad you decided to come down. Please, you need to go eat something. I'll go up and take care of Bella for you."

I shook my head. "No, Esme, I'm not leaving. I was actually wondering if Jasper wouldn't mind picking something up for me…"

I saw him nodding, "Not a problem, bro. I'd be happy to bring you some… 'fast food'!!" Jasper drawled.

Rosalie groaned and hid her face behind her hand while Alice smiled in amusement. I had to smile at him too. It wasn't exactly funny…just lame. Jasper was trying to lighten the mood though, and I couldn't fault him for that.

"How long had you been waiting to use that one?"

He chuckled. "A while. Pretty good, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not really."

He shrugged. "Eh, it got you to smile though."

I nodded and was about to say something when the house phone rang. Everyone stood stock still as a second ring shrilled out. We looked around the room questioningly. Obviously, no one was expecting a call, and everyone we spoke to had our cell numbers.

It was ringing for a fourth time when Jasper spoke up. "Don't rush to answer the damn phone everybody, I'll get it."

We all stood still as he picked up. This couldn't be good.

"Hello?" He greeted the caller with a twang.

"Hello? Hey there, it's Renee, Bella's mom. Is this Jasper?"

Oh for the love of all that is holy, please don't tell me it's going to get worse. I hoped Jasper could weasel his way out of this one.

"Uh…yeah, it's Jasper. What can I do for you this fine day, Mrs. Dwyer?" He crooned.

I heard her giggle. "Oh please, call me Renee! Mrs. Dwyer makes me feel so old! Anyway, is Bella around? I wanted to ask her a quick question about the wedding."

Everyone looked at each other in a blind panic. Not only that, their minds were each racing with what to say, or what to do. We had all been so concerned about Bella, we never even thought about what we would tell everyone else.

"Oh, well…she's indisposed at the moment." Jasper hesitated, covering the mouth piece with his hand and holding the receiver to his for head; realizing the 'brilliance' of his answer.

_Indisposed? He could've just said she was busy! Don't make a big deal Jazz!_ Rosalie's thoughts were getting frantic. She knew her 'twin' enough to know he was usually good under pressure, but on occasion would crack and come out with random shit.

"Indisposed? Well, what's she doing?"

Out of all the people in this house that could have picked up that call, I knew the one person I could count on was him.

Or so I thought.

"She's stuck in the bathroom. Yeah…yeah, um…she had this _huge_ bowl of chili with beans for lunch...and um...apparently it didn't sit well with her stomach, so I don't know how long she'll be in there." All his usual confidence, warmth and southern charm, flew out of the window and emigrated to stupidville to live with Emmett.

Jasper turned to us with a horrified look sprawled all over his face...and I had never wanted to kill him more.

"Oh no! I told her what that does to her, my poor baby! Do you guys have any Pepto Bismol? That always helped her out. You know what, that doesn't matter. I'll bring it with me when I come over…"

He grimaced at the lovely image he had painted in his mind of Bella, holed up in the bathroom, swigging down pepto bismol like it was going out of fashion.

His imagination could be graphic at times and even I had to squirm at the thought as he sent off wave after wave of awkward nervousness.

At that point, Esme quickly grabbed the phone out of Jasper's hand, almost crushing it in the process. She was not pleased.

He walked over to the wall and started to bang his head against it. I knew it wouldn't hurt -even though he managed to crack the dry walling- but still appreciated the gesture. He knew he'd messed up this time and mouthed me his apology once he knew the wall could take no more punishment.

"Renee? Hi, this is Esme."

"Oh, Esme, how are you?"

"Fine, fine. Just here taking care of the family. You know how that goes." She lazily replied while looking to Jasper and shaking her head.

_And you're supposed to be one of the smart ones?_ her silent question made me chuckle despite myself.

"Of course. A woman's job is never done. Some men just don't know how to appreciate us women, huh?"

Carlisle frowned, then lifted one eyebrow as he looked at his wife. Esme chuckled into the phone nervously.

"So, what can I do for you, Renee?"

"I really wanted to come by and see Bella. I know she wanted me to wait till the wedding day to see her, but I can't! She's my only daughter, and I would like to spend some time with her before the big day, you know? Maybe I can ease her nerves about the wedding night."

Everyone's eyes darted to me, and I swear, if I had the ability to blush at that moment, I would've. I looked back at Esme, and she smiled quickly and replied to Renee, "Oh, that sounds great Renee, but unfortunately, all the girls are leaving for a bit."

"Leaving?"

"Yes, a retreat of sorts. Since Bella will be the new sibling, Rose and Alice have decided to…um…take her away and get to know each other better."

"Oh…"

I heard a collective sigh around the room at her quick thinking. Esme really was the glue that held this family together.

"Okay, then, well, I guess I'll talk to her when she gets back. Will you have her call me?"

"Of course! I'll pass the message along."

Esme said good-bye and hung up the phone, joining all of us in our quick relief. We had avoided one disaster with a relative…I wondered how many more we would have to endure in the future.

**~*~BPOV~*~**

I'm dead.

I really think I'm dead. I can't feel my body. I can't see anything. I can't hear anything.

But, I'm thinking …aren't I?

Everything was suddenly a blur of movement and sound. My body tingled to life; I could feel my arms, legs, and chest, all thrumming with excess energy. My eyes snapped open to see a riot of color and light. Bright blues, yellows, and reds swirled around my vision. My head spun as if I were on an out of control merry-go-round. I heard strange noises all around me, swirling around my already jostled mind like a record.

I sat up, unable to sit still for much longer. The ground on which I had been laying fell away from me, leaving me suspended in midair. I felt my body move through the air, completely unsupported. After some time, I stopped moving. The ground reappeared, this time much softer, and the swirling lights reappeared. Instead of the Technicolor rainbow from before, it was a combination of white, gold, and bronze.

My new world faded to black.

**~*~EPOV~*~**

"What do you mean you don't know what happened?" I angrily paced my room like a caged animal. There was my Bella, my life, lying unconscious on my bed…and there was nothing I could do. What kind of fiancé am I?

After she and Emmett collapsed simultaneously, I had carried her up the stairs and into my bedroom. I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible.

Carlisle sighed. "Edward, I'm sorry, but I don't actually know what's wrong with Bella. A vampire passing out isn't exactly an everyday occurrence; the only other known case is Emmett. Speaking of which, I should go check on him as well."

He got up and left the room.

Bella had always been the exception to the 'normal' rule as a human, but I thought now that she was virtually indestructible, stuff like this would have stopped. I sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for her still hand.

What had happened to her?

I sat there lost in my thoughts for God knows how long. Suddenly, her eyelids fluttered and her newly golden eyes popped open. "Bella? Are you alright? Do you need anything? What happened?"

Her glazed over eyes blinked at me in confusion. "Where's Emmett? Why isn't Emmett here…how did _I_ get here?"

_Wait, what?_

I cocked my head in confusion and cupped her ultra soft cheek with my palm. "I carried you upstairs after you passed out." I took a deep breath; I didn't want to ask why she needed Emmett so badly. "Sweetheart, what do you remember?"

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "Uh…I felt a sharp pain in my chest…and then nothing. It was really strange though, I saw all these swirling colors like I was in Wonderland or something." She bit her lip and sat up, looking out the bedroom door. "Where's Emmett, I really want to see him."

"He's probably in his room with Rosalie. Jasper carried him up when I carried you. Why? Do you want to know how he's doing?"

She shook her head. "No. I want to see him. Now."

I looked at her absolutely perplexed. "Why?"

"I'm not sure; I just know I _have_ to see him. Please, let me go to his room."

I nodded, still absolutely confused. "Uh...sure."

We got off of the bed, and I lead her gingerly down the stairs and into Emmett and Rosalie's room. There sat Emmett on the mammoth king bed, Rosalie sitting in the same position I had been in upstairs. Carlisle was checking him out with a penlight, a scowl on his face.

"Bella," Emmett shouted as he leapt out of the bed. Bella beamed at him and ran over to hug him. Rosalie and I started towards the pair, equal looks of confusion and shock on our faces.

"What's going on?" Rosalie pulled them apart.

They exchanged glances, Emmett spoke first. "I-I'm not exactly sure. I feel this intense pull towards her."

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I feel like I need to be near him…"

They beamed at one another and started to whisper back and forth.

Rosalie and I stared wide-eyed at each other.

This was not good.

Not good at all.

--

**~*~BPOV~*~**

Emmett took my hand and led me upstairs into his room. It was night and the moon cast shadows along the floor, giving it an ominous look. I gently shut the door, not wanting the sound of a harsh slam to ruin the still silence. When I turned, Emmett was already sitting on the bed waiting for me to join him. I smiled and rushed across the dark room, taking only a second until I was beside him.

He leaned forward and captured my lips with his, gently moving against me with a slow and gentle ease. We kissed for minutes, hours, days, a year, I had not a clue; all I knew was the taste of his lips. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. I threaded my fingers through his black hair. I could barely move them, the curls were so thick.

--

_Edward's hair is much smoother…_ A little voice whispered from the back of my mind. I pushed the thought away, not wanting to ponder it. I busied myself with Emmett's lips, wanting to rid myself of the errant thoughts. He leaned us back onto the bed, his large body crushing my significantly smaller one. If I were human, I wouldn't have been able to breathe.

_Edward wouldn't crush you._

_Shut up! This isn't about Edward, this is about Emmett._ I replied to the voice in my head…like a crazy person. Great.

His massive paw-like hands skimmed down my sides, coming to a rest at my hips. I groaned and wiggled against him, loving the feeling. We broke the kiss and he licked and nipped a fiery trail down my neck, pausing to suck every now and then. It was heaven and hell wrapped into one. I reached behind to his back, and slowly pulled his t-shirt off, copping a feel of those terrific buns. The shirt was whipped somewhere into the darkened room, my eyes too busy feasting on the sight of his seemingly 20-pack abs to notice anything else. Em grinned his full dimpled grin down at me…so different from Edward's sexy crooked smile…

Wait…was that the voice? Or me? Why am I thinking about Edward right now? I've made my choice…haven't I?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and brought myself back to the present, where a hunky shirtless God was in my bed. Speaking of shirtless…I ran my hands lightly down his torso, reveling in the harder than steel muscles he had. He had the most perfect chest I had ever seen, muscular with just the right smattering of hair around his pecs and happy trail.

"Mmm, Bella, that feels really nice," he groaned out as I played with the aforementioned happy trail. I just grinned slyly in response, fearing if I opened my mouth something stupid like _'Oh, Edward doesn't really have a lot of chest hair, but he does have pubes,' _or something else ridiculously horrifying would pop out.

I pulled my shirt over my head and my jeans down my legs, desperate to feel him everywhere. Emmett removed his as well and ground roughly into my panty covered centre. He felt huge in his black boxer briefs.

_Edward has a big-_

Don't finish that thought.

I must have had some weird look on my face, because Emmett looked down at me in confusion. "You okay, Bella? Are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yes - yeah. I'm fine, just fine. I want this. Really, I do."

We kissed again, our tongues tangling around one another. I ground my hips into his, reveling the feeling of him between my thighs. He growled roughly against my lips. His hands traveled around my back and unhooked my bra, removing it from my body in one swift tug. They cupped my breasts, squeezing gently and pinching harshly. The contrast made my head spin and his name fall from my lips. "Emmett!"

He grinned down at me before leaning in a capturing a nipple in his absolutely heavenly mouth. He sucked and nipped at it gently, being careful not to break the delicate - for a vampire - skin. Once more I threaded my fingers through his hair, urging him on as he switched sides and promptly gave my other tip the same delicious treatment as its twin. His free hand - the one that wasn't currently giving my left boob a massage - was playing with the hem of my cotton panties. I bucked my hips towards his touch, urging him to tug them down my legs. Meanwhile, my hand was playing with the edge of his underwear.

I wanted them off, and I wanted them off now.

As we kicked our underwear to the floor, I was struck with yet another thought of Edward…and it wasn't one about a part of his body or what not.

Just a simple-

_I miss Edward…_

The thought knocked the unneeded wind out of me, and I let out a gasp. Emmett, who was still licking and sucking at my nipple, released it with a small 'pop' and grinned up at me. "You like that baby?"

_Emmett - not Edward. Emmet t- not Edward. Emmett - not Edward._

I smiled back at him and gently ran my hands down his back, cupping his scrumptious rump in my hands. "Love it."

I felt the blunt head of his dick rub against my clit, making me pant and writhe for him. "Please, Emmett."

His mouth was right by my ear, his voice deepened with desire. "Please what, Bella?"

I arched my back, pressing my breasts into his large chest. "Fuck me, Emmett."

He smiled sweetly, dimples and all, down at me. He cupped my cheeks in his hands and pressed his lips to mine. We kissed without hurry or care. I felt him align at my entrance and push in slowly. It feltamazing. My head fell back exposing my neck. He took the opportunity to suck gently at the spot on the left side of my neck. His hips stilled as he fully imbedded himself within me. I bucked forward urging him to move, needing the friction. He pulled out and pushed back in slowly, too slowly for my taste.

"Mmm, harder."

Emmett's hips surged forward at a faster pace, his cock filling me wonderfully. My hands slid up to his shoulders and held him tightly against my body. "Jesus Bella…feels so good…"

His hips snapped into mine at a bruising pace, rocketing me towards the edge. "God, yes! Emmett!"

He rained kisses all down my neck. "Come for me, baby."

I exploded into a million pieces; my body ripping apart at the seams. Bright lights clouded my vision, and I heard a vague wailing noise coming from some distant place. It took me a second to realize that noise was coming from my open lips.

I felt Emmett tense and come inside me, letting off animalistic growls that made me hot for him all over again.

He collapsed onto the bed next to me, holding me tightly against his side.

And for a moment…all the thoughts stopped.

**~*~BPOV~*~**

I was lying on the bed with my eyes closed when I first heard it.

I assumed they were all gone. That everyone had decided to go hunting. I didn't think anyone would be left behind other than me.

I stood and walked out of the bedroom and into the hall to find the source of the sound.

Everything was dark in the house. I still felt confused, and something felt off. I didn't want to go hunting because I wanted to sit and figure out what was wrong.

However, that sound ruined my plans.

Because I knew what sound it was. I had made that sound before.

"_Ughh… Edward."_

_Why is Edward still home? And who is he with?_

I was trying to figure out where it was coming from. Everything was off and just didn't feel right.

I turned down the hallway to the steps and descended the stairs.

I heard it again.

It was the sound of piano keys being played in random order. I kept walking toward the source. A nagging feeling was telling me to turn, that what I was about to see would hurt and make me upset. But like a car wreck, I couldn't turn away.

As I stepped off the last step, I knew that my instincts to flee had been correct. I wanted to turn and run and never return. I wanted to vomit, although I knew I couldn't actually do that.

Edward was seated at his piano facing away from the keys. Rosalie was seated on Edward.

They were wrapped together in a familiar embrace. Her hips were undulating against his, and his head was thrown back in ecstasy. His back was against the keys, and I knew that was the source of the sound.

I should have felt embarrassment for catching them in this state of intimacy. I should have laughed it off and apologized for interrupting. I should have turned and left.

But seeing them this way elicited a completely different response from me, leaving me even more bewildered.

My dead heart ached in my chest. It was painful and almost crippling. In fact, my knees buckled, and my hand flew to my chest to check for a racing beat that wasn't there. I felt empty because they were gazing at each other with such passion. I was fucking jealous because that wasn't me seated on Edward's lap.

My instinct to run finally kicked in the moment Edward's eyes met mine as he sensed my intrusion. I gasped and ran, not only from the room, but from the house as well. I ran the opposite direction I knew the others were hunting.

I was revolted and confused. Why was I so upset? I had my own lover. I shouldn't want Edward. I didn't want Edward. I was over him. I made my decision. I ended it because it was the right thing to do.

So why did it hurt so bad to see the consequences of my decision?

I ran for miles and in circles. I just didn't want to stop. I moved on autopilot.

I had no idea where I would end up; I just wanted to run.

My legs flew beneath me as I ran through the familiar woods. I hadn't plan to end up there, I just did.

I was at the meadow.

I stopped running and just lay down in the grass. I took an unnecessary deep breath to reign myself in. What the hell was wrong with me?

I lay in that meadow for hours; I couldn't shut my mind off. It was a night where I wished for sleep, because sleeping was better that this nightmare. I was over Edward. I made the damn choice.

I pictured them still in their lovers' embrace. My body shook with disgust just thinking about his hands on her and thinking of my reaction.

It was then that it hit me. I wasn't over him. I thought I had made my decision to end the wedding, and I was past it. But the thought of his hands on me made my cold body heat up. And the thought of his hands on her made me angrier than I had ever been.

He was mine, damnit! We belonged together! We were supposed to get married!

I had to fix this.

I was so lost in thought I didn't even hear Edward approach. He just joined me in the grass and stared at the sky.

I was the first to speak, and the words that tumbled from my mouth shocked us both.

"I'm not over you."

Edward turned his head and raised a cold brow to me.

"Excuse me?" His voice sounded detached and far away.

"I want you back." I met his gaze and he looked completely indifferent. "I want to marry you. I want the wedding. I want the chaos. I want the love back. Please, Edward?" He sat up and I followed.

He didn't speak for a minute. His hands were balled into fists, and he was motionless.

After a minute he rose and stood before me.

"What makes you think you get it back? You think I'm just going to accept that? Fuck that, Bella!" His sharp words made me flinch. "Bella, I don't have it in me to love. Don't you see that? I can't love you. You don't love me. You just saw something you didn't expect, and now you expect me to beg and crawl? I won't! This is how it was always meant to be. Rosalie and I were always supposed to be together. This is fate, Bella."

He turned to walk away, and I rose to my feet ready to be the one that begs and crawls.

"Edward, please, no!" I grabbed his arm, but he easily slid from my grasp.

"Bella, I don't love you. You made your decision. You didn't want to get married. I gave you what you wanted so many times before. You have to deal with it. You chose this. You get the consequences."

I dropped to my knees, shocked.

_He doesn't love me._

He turned and walked away, and this time I didn't stop him. I fucked up. There was no going back. That thought alone hurt more than I ever imagined.


	21. Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 6

**Srsly, I can't believe how many of you doubted me! Horrible - It's my birthday so in honor of that Ya'll can say fucking sorry...lol....except for one of you- u know who u r! Totes made me feel fuckawesome, cause, dude, it is usually you who picks at my shit non-stop! So today..I totes love you for your faith in me. Mwah~**

**Off I go to get my drunk on and forget about how old I am getting and all the readers who second guessed me...grrrrr**

* * *

**Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 6**

**~*~Cupid's POV~*~**

Love is in the air. Well, love is always in the air. It just takes time. But really, since it is near Valentine's Day, it makes my job a little more demanding. Especially now, with my son Seraphim coming of age and needing to be trained. Today we would go out and check on his subjects. Make sure he made appropriate choices and that the matches were what they should be. Today was the day he passed or failed.

We'd already been to see the first two subjects and all appeared to have gone smoothly. I couldn't be happier with his choices. We were now just making our way to his very last subjects, and then we could return home for the day. Spend some time relaxing before we spent most of our time out working over the next few days. I mean, come on, everyone deserves a chance at love on Valentine's Day!

"Are you sure this is the place, Seraphim?" I asked cautiously.

He nodded his head vigorously, a huge smile on his face.

"Yes, I am sure. I remember this couple very well. I hoped things worked out for them." He replied, a wistful look in his eyes. Sugar plums, I wish he had said no. By the overwhelming smell in the air I could already tell, whomever he had shot was likely not faring well. The air reeked of vampires, something I had completely forgot to mention to my son.

"Seraphim," I inquired to my young son, returning his attention to me. "Was there a reason you picked these particular subjects?" I asked him needing to know the basis of his choice.

"Well, father, they were having this huge fight amongst themselves. She wanted to cancel their wedding altogether. But if you saw them, you could feel the love that they had for one another, it was all-consuming." He explained, but before I could respond he continued. "I don't know why she was even calling it off. The way she looked at him and vice versa was pure and unconditional. I thought that by shooting them with the lust arrow it would give them the push they obviously needed." He finished, still looking wistful.

"Son, I think I have forgotten to mention an important factor about our arrows. Our arrows will have the opposite effect on other mythical creatures. And from the smell in the air I'd say a coven of vampires lives here. Did you shoot one of the arrows at a vampire, Seraphim?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Umm, not sure." My son was obviously flustered by the question and looked from the house back to me again. "They were really pale, and they were more beautiful than most humans I've ever seen."

"Let's see what's happening inside before we make a judgment on what we need to do about this."We fluttered up to the window and into the house. It looked like we were inside a bedroom. It had music covers gracing the walls, a TV on the opposite wall, a iron four poster bed, and a beautiful young woman laying asleep in the bed.

Her mahogany hair lay against the pillow, and she almost looked like a zombie laying there.

"Edward, you must hunt." A voice that tinkled like bells rang from the other side of the door.

"No," the man who must be Edward replied.

The door opened, and two more people stepped into the room. The man, who has to be Edward, walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair next to it, taking the hand of woman lying there.

The young woman was short like a sprit or a pixie. Her features are plagued with worry and concern. Her hair was spiked in different directions. She looked as if she was ready to do battle if it came to it.

The young man has a very odd color of auburny bronze hair. He had dark circles under his eyes that looked as if he hadn't slept in days. He looked tired, distraught and just plain worried. His gaze never wavered from the young woman lying in the bed.

"Edward, you can't keep staring at Bella waiting until she comes out of whatever she's in. It's not healthy. Bella will come out of it when she's ready." The young woman tried to reason.

"Alice, you haven't had any visions about her waking up. I don't want to leave and not be here when she wakes up." Edward gaze never leaves the sleeping Bella.

"Edward," Alice snapped. Edward looks at her. "You have everyone in this house double worried. Not just about Bella and Emmett, but about you, too. You haven't hunted in a week and a half."

"She called off the wedding, Alice. She said she didn't want to get married to me. What if when she wakes up she still doesn't want to marry me. I love her so much, Alice. I don't know if I can go back to the way things were before she entered my existence." Edward voice cracked. Almost as if he wanted to cry.

"Edward, I don't think she meant it." Alice walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know how Bella feels about you. Hell, we all know how she feels about you. Maybe she was just so stressed about everything else that she couldn't take it, so she said she wanted to call of the wedding. That doesn't mean she planned on leaving you."

"You didn't see her, Alice, when she said it. It looked as if she had given up on everything. Not just us. I don't think I could handle it."

"Edward, it will all work out in the end. I promise it will." Alice said, as if trying to convince herself of the words and then sighed and walked out of the room.

"Seraphim, it's time. I think we should wake the sleeping beauty. But I hope this is a lesson for you to pay more attention." I said to my son.

"Yes, Father. I understand. But can you see that my intentions were good?" He asked with a regretful look shrouding his face.

"Yes, I know they were. But still you must be careful. It could've been worse." I chastised him, but softened my features so he knew I forgave him. I took out the antidote and aimed it at the sleeping Bella. I let go and watched as it sailed over to her sleeping form and hit her in the shoulder.

We both watched as her eyes started to flutter open. I turned to my son and handed him the bow and arrow along with the bottle of the antidote and motioned for him to deal with the last of his subjects. He took everything and fluttered out of the room with a frown on his face.

A few moments later he was back at my side. "All fixed?" I asked softly, not wanting him to feel so guilty. No matter how upset I was, it was an honest mistake. In fact, it was more my mistake than his. I should have mentioned the whole 'mythical creatures flaw'.

"'Now that we have fixed that, I think it's time to get home."

"Okay." He smiled sheepishly as his gaze left the now groaning Bella. It would seem as if he had developed a teensy a crush.

"Son, you will find your true love as have they, but it's just not her." I put my hand on my son's shoulder as we glided out of the window.

"Someday, I hope." My son replied.

**~*~EPOV~*~**

I sat by her bedside, thinking how strange she looked. If I didn't know better, I'd think that she was sleeping. I'd think that she had just dozed off for a moment, and that her eyes would open any minute.

But I did know better.

I knew that she was a vampire, therefore she would not be sleeping, and I knew that those eyes had not just been closed for a few moments. It had been days. Three days of agony where I was unsure whether I would ever see her beautiful eyes again.

"Bella," I whispered, my lips close to her ear. "Wake up, darling. Please, for me, wake up."

I didn't believe my eyes when her eyelids fluttered open. It was like something out of a fairytale, and while I was a supernatural being, I never bought into all those Brother Grimm tales.

"Edward," she said softly, and my glass heart shattered. I saw then that it wasn't some fantasy that my muddled brain was spinning. It was real. She was rising from the bed, and then her arms were around me, sobs racking her body. She held me tighter than I could ever remember her holding me, and she was sobbing uncontrollably. I rubbed her back soothingly, peppering the top of her head with kisses.

I had no idea why she was crying, but it didn't matter, not one bit. All that mattered was she was here, in my arms. She was awake, and hopefully I could convince her to marry me again.

I couldn't have been more ecstatic.

**~*~BPOV~*~**

I couldn't have been more miserable.

Memories of Emmett's lips on mine, his hands touching me where only one other person had ever touched licked at my memory like the tongue of a flame. It hurt. It burned. It was absolute agony, thinking of what I had done.

And then what Edward had done.

"I'm sorry," I bawled, holding him tightly against me. I wanted him close, so close that I would feel his dormant heart beat.

"Bella-"

"I love you," I said fervently, pulling away so that he could see my face. I touched his face gently at first, and then became more arduous as I told him, "I love you and only you, Edward. You are my life. I could never, ever, imagine my life without you in it. I…I don't want to imagine it!"

"I love you, too, sweetheart," he said, his voice hesitant. "Are..are you feeling alright?"

I nestled my head in his shoulder and sighed, "I am now. I was stupid, Edward. I..I wasn't seeing straight."

He kissed the top of my head and tilted my face up to catch my lips with his. He kissed me hungrily, and I let my hands explore the expanse of his back. He pulled away after a while and murmured, "Will you still marry me, Bella?"

I touched his cheek again. "Of course, I will. It's you, Edward. It's always been you."

He kissed me again and his knee nudged my legs open. I laid back on the bed and sighed contently as I felt his weight upon me. He pressed hard against my thigh, and I reached down and felt him.

"You feel like heaven," I whispered, biting his bottom lip. "I need you, Edward. Now."

He reacted immediately, his hands everywhere. I tried to focus on the present, his lips flush against mine, but my mind kept wandering to Emmett. Just as he was about to enter me I pulled away.

I felt empty.

"Bella?"

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I just need you to know that I am so sorry."

"For what?" He pushed my hair away from my face and kissed my forehead.

"For everything, Edward. I don't know what I was thinking. I must have been out of my mind."

"You did nothing wrong."

"And don't be mad at Emmett." I thought of the two brothers being at odds, and it made my head hurt. "It isn't his fault, either. Everyone was a bit out of their minds."

He looked at me strangely and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. I smiled up at him and continued, "It's all over now. Things are back to the way they should be."

He smiled. "You're right."

I lifted my head from the pillow and kissed him lightly. "I love you, Edward. You are my everything."

"I love you, too." He went to kiss me but then stopped. "Wait, why would I be angry with Emmett?"

I started at him in disbelief. "Well, because…"

"Because what?"

I didn't want to say it out loud, so instead I continued being vague. All the while Edward stared at me as if I were crazy, and it slowly began to dawn on me that perhaps it had only been a dream. A nightmare. Maybe, just maybe, God was smiling down at an immortal like me, and it really was all a terrible, terrible dream. I placed my hands on the back of Edward's neck and said, "Forget everything that I have said. Please, just forget it all."

"Okay."

I pulled his head to mine and devoured his lips. My hands travelled down to his back, gently pushing him down as I drew him in. We moved slowly, neither of us in a rush. I wanted to feel every inch of him, savor every kiss and touch. I could feel the tension build, and as I neared my end, I drew his hand toward me and he applied pressure, sending me over the edge. Moments later I felt him tense before grunting out my name and filling me completely.

"I love you," he murmured, rolling onto his back and pulling me onto his chest. I rested my head just over his heart and kissed the skin beneath my lips.

"I love you, too."

We were silent for a moment until I said, "I had the strangest dream."

"You probably did, my love. You were unconscious for the past three days and Emmett too."

Suddenly, everything made sense. Emmett, Rosalie, all of it had just been a feverish dream. I chuckled gently against his chest and mumbled, "Of course I was."

"We were all so worried. We had no idea what was wrong with you."

"Well, I'm back now."

Edward kissed the top of my head. "Thank God."

"I thought you believed God didn't deal with us," I said softly.

He gently brushed my cheek with the edge of his thumb and told me, "Well, I do now, Bella."

**~*~BPOV~*~**

"Bella, Bella, Bella! You're awake! Ah!" Alice squealed as she ran into the room and jumped on our bed. I laughed along with her, allowing my body to be bounced from the energy she transferred onto the mattress. "I'm so, so sorry that I caused you guys to fight. I've been beating myself up over it to an almost Edward-like degree. Please forgive me? I promise that I'll tone it down on the wedding plans. I swear that you can pick whatever you want, as long as it matches." She pleaded.

I laughed heartily, "Yes. I forgive you, Alice."

"Oh great! I knew you just had to. You're going to love the surprise I got you to make up for the whole coma debauchery as well! Oh my God, I cannot wait!" She bellowed, sounding very much in tune with Emmett.

I groaned, "No more clothes, Alice! Make me try on one more thing you buy and I will take back my forgiving attitude; in which case there would be no more fashion shows, as enemies don't dress their enemies, got it?" I stressed.

She snorted, "Silly, Bella. As if I would get you clothes as a make-up present! I swear, sometimes it's like you don't know me at all," she tisked and walked out of the room.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, because that makes perfect sense, Alice."

"It is Alice," Edward reminded me. "She doesn't need to make sense."

"By the way, I just thought you might like to know, Emmett is awake, too. He woke up the same time as Bella did." Alice called over her shoulder as she bounced out of the room.

I laughed and looked to Edward, smiling devilishly. "We've got some unfinished business."

He forcefully pushed me so I was lying on the bed with him on top of me, "Yes. Yes, we do." Edward agreed.

**~~The next morning~~**

Edward, the insatiable hundred year-old vampire, kept me locked in our room all night. Not that I was complaining, but I wanted to talk to Carlisle about my trance-like coma and find out if he had any new theories. I had hoped that this talk could have happened last night, but this morning was the earliest I could get out of the room to see the family. Trying to keep me to himself, Edward told me that no one was home. Apparently, he'd forgotten that I'm a vampire now, and I have just as good, if not better, hearing as him. Someone was moving around downstairs, so I made it my mission to talk with someone other than my soon-to-be husband.

I headed to the living room, figuring it to be my best bet for some conversation. I could sense Edward's lanky form laggardly dragging itself out of our bed to follow me. I passed by the empty door of Carlisle's office. He must already be at work. Darn. I suppose I would just have to speak with him later today.

A horrid smell emitted from the direction of the kitchen. Something akin to the smell of rotten potatoes from my human life. My body shuddered violently as I edged closer to investigate the conundrum. Why would there be potatoes in a house full of vampires?

"Oh, Bella! I was on my way to get you to see if you thought lunch smelled okay, but then I realized that you no longer have an appetite for this kind of sustenance, excuse me." Esme laughed as I entered the kitchen.

The scene I walked into was something out of a movie. Esme was standing at the cook top on her miraculously un-clean granite island. A small portable TV sat directly across from her, next to the stainless steel fridge, playing reruns of Emeril on the Food Network. Pots and pans arranged hap-hazardly on the island. What looked suspiciously like wet flower dusted the countertops and Esme's purple silk shirt.

"Esme?" I asked bewilderedly. "What is going on in here?"

She laughed gaily again. "I'm fixing lunch, silly. What does it look like?"

Okay. Esme Cullen, vampire Esme Cullen, is fixing lunch for her home of fellow vampires. Oh yes, perfectly sound reasoning I've got here.

"Esme? I don't know if you know this, but no one here eats human lunch." I told her.

"Oh, the lunch isn't for us," she quipped.

Alright. Humans were coming for lunch. To eat lunch, I corrected myself. "You know what, I'm not even going to ask," I shook my head and turned to walk straight into Emmett.

"Sorry, baby sis'. Didn't see you down there," he boomed.

I backed up a step to look at Emmett head on. From his dark curls and strong physique, Emmett could intimidate anyone, vampire, wolf or human, but as I looked at him, something much scarier to me came to mind.

_Emmett running up to me with grizzly hairs on him, blood spots dotting his shirt. I stood from my kill and jumped into his arms, kissing him fiercely._

_Emmett's hulking form above me, naked in the moonlight._

_Sitting on Emmett's lap and enduring some asinine movie because he loved it._

_Staring at Rosalie across the room as she kissed up Edward's neck. He smiled---my smile---crookedly, grabbed her hand and led her upstairs. Moans echoed from above. No one thought twice about it._

_Edward at the end of the aisle. I walked to him, smiling awe-like, until I realized a second too late that my dress was deep red. I veered to the right, and the blonde in the white dress came up behind me to take her place at the altar._

_Emmett in a white tux on a beach filled with vampires. He sparkled brilliantly, a wide grin splitting his face in half. I looked down to adjust my gauzy white dress, praying that I didn't trip._

The memories hit me full force, one after the other. I'm pretty sure my face was a frozen mixture of horrified shock and fear while I stared at Emmett, but none hurt as much as the last.

_I walked into the garage, planning on driving somewhere to hide from Alice's shopping wrath. Heavy pants and whispered declarations greeted me, and I snapped my head up to see a half-naked Rosalie and Edward getting freaky on the hood of my car. I gasped in agony, ready to run. Edward pried his lips from Rosalie's to give me an apologetic smile and a sheepish expression. I ran from the room and up to my own. Emmett's arms encircled my waist from behind._

"_You look like you've seen a ghost, Bella. Are you alright?" he whispered, concerned._

_I was breathing too hard to notice anything by now._

_Emmett cocked his ear in the direction of the garage. "Oh, I see. You didn't see a ghost, just Rosalie and Edward naked. No wonder you're freaked."_

_I backed away from Emmett's hulking form, one step at a time. His face held a shocked expression and his arms were raised halfway up, as if he was about to give me one of his infamous bear-hugs. My back hit the counter as Edward entered the room. He stopped in the doorway, presumably listening to the thoughts of Emmett and Esme before making a beeline to me. Gathering my stiff and still heavily panting form in his arms, he ran back up the stairs and into our bedroom._

"_Bella? Bella, come back to me! Are you alright? Come on, Bella, come back to me," he demanded. All I could see was Edward's crooked smile to Rosalie. All I could feel was the agony of seeing them together, in the intimate way reserved for just me and him._

"Edward. Edward, no." I whispered furiously.

"Bella, it's okay. Everything's fine. I'm right here, Bella. I'm always right here. You're okay; you're safe," Edward murmured in my ear.

I took a deep breath to ground myself. I was fine. I was okay, here, in Edward's arms. Everything would be fine. It was just a crazy dream I had, even though I don't sleep. That's all. I'm not with Emmett; Edward would never even consider being with Rosalie. Edward and I are perfect for each other, as are Rose and Emmett. Everything is fine, Bella. It was just a dream.

"Bella?" Edward asked tentatively.

"Mhm?"

"Oh, thank God," he hugged me tightly. "I thought I'd lost you again. I'm eternally sorry for whatever frightened you. Emmett doesn't know what he did, he's sorry that he scared you, if it's him you're afraid of."

Emmett.

Edward continued, "He left the house for a little while to be with Rosalie, trying to give us some space, I presume."

"Emmett. Rosalie." I muttered.

"Yes, love. Emmett and Rosalie, your brother and sister. Are you having trouble remembering them?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I'm not having trouble remembering anything, Edward," I murmured. "Rest assured, I am fine. I was just a little spooked---that's all." I was more than a little spooked, but I wasn't going to tell him that. Not now, at least. My eyes widened, and a horrible feeling spread through my body and seeped into my heart.

What if my vision of the four of us during my coma wasn't a dream? Could it be a premonition?

I closed my eyes to stop the tears that I knew wouldn't come. I couldn't let Edward be worried over me today. I can't give him any reason to want to seek comfort in Rosalie, which means staying the hell away from Emmett. Is that even possible? Emmett and I had become very close since my change. He would want to talk to me about what happened in the kitchen today. Edward couldn't see us talking, he'd seek out Rosalie. I couldn't let that happen. Edward carried me upstairs silently.

I tried to relax in Edward's arms as he laid us down against the pillows, as he had done many times before. But my body was just too keyed up, though. Melting into his embrace seemed next to impossible right now, but I had to try to act normal. I loved him unconditionally. Showing a little affection wouldn't be too hard.

He noticed, "Bell-?" was all he could get out before the door swung open violently.

"SUPRISE!" Renee and Alice yelled dramatically.

"Mom?!" I shouted at the same time.

Edward chuckled quietly in my ear, "If vampires could faint from mental exhaustion, which I'm pretty sure you've done before, you'd be playing dead as we speak. Surprise, love!" he whispered and kissed under my ear.


	22. Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 7

**This is it folks, the last part to the never ending collab- this fucker has been going on since October first- I can't thank the faithful followers that have read through since the Halloween countdown enough to know how it all began, and of course, all the new readers as well. If you want to see how this lil journey began, you can read the last bit of the countdowns from Halloween and Christmas as well.**

**There will be one more posting tomorrow night- to introduce the lovely ladies that participated in the collab portion of the countdown and all that shizz.**

**Cupid's Lil Ut Oh Part 7**

**BPOV**

Once I'd gotten over the shock of having my mother barge into my fiancé and my bedroom with Alice and put on some decent clothes, i.e. sweats from Victoria's Secret and a tank top, Edward and I headed back down the stairs and into the living room to find Renee and Alice perched over the latest edition of Modern Bride. The two of us took a seat on one of the immaculate white couches across from the pair.

I asked the first of many, many questions, "Mom? What are you doing in Forks?"

"I came to see you and Edward, silly! Alice called yesterday and told me that you weren't feeling too well these past few days, so I decided that we should spend some quality time together before the wedding. When I mentioned this to Alice, imagine how surprised I was to find that your darling little sister-to-be had had the exact same idea, and had already purchased me a ticket! I hopped on the flight, and here I am!" she finished proudly.

"And here you are," I murmured. "And what, pray tell, are we going to do?"

"We're going to plan your wedding!" She shouted, at the same time as Alice.

**~*~Renee's POV~*~**

To be honest, when charming Alice called me yesterday, I had absolutely no idea that I'd be spending my entire weekend in the dismal tiny town of Forks, Washington. Sure, I adored my daughter, her fiancé, and his family, but nothing was worth spending three gloriously sunny and work-free days here. Alice, the little snake she is, convinced me to come up here with promises of daughters, shopping, and poufy wedding dresses.

I'd always had a thing for the poufy wedding dresses.

Phil and I didn't really have the money to stay more than one night in Forks, Bella's wedding day. I loved Charlie, truly, but his little house held nothing but bad memories, and I simply could not stay there, even if Phil was with me. We had originally planned to come up here the night before the wedding and take a flight out afterwards, but not now that Alice called. It's not as if we were poor or anything. Phil's coaching has been bringing in some money and so has my job teaching first graders at the elementary school three blocks over, but with economy and the furlough days for teachers, both of us felt one night in the rainy town was more than enough.

So I'm sure you could imagine my surprise when Alice said she could pay for my ticket and that I could stay in her home. It almost felt bad accepting, but I really, really wanted to see my daughter and have a hand in her wedding. So I said yes with little more than a second of thought.

So here I sat, looking at my favorite couple, next to myself and Phil: my Bella and her Edward.

She sat halfway on his lap on the white chaise across from Alice and me. The two of them looked so perfect together, like magnets, I had once said to her. I doubt either of them noticed, but one would if so inclined to look closer.

Edward shifted his right leg under her lap almost infinitesimally, and Bella's right hand immediately moved to rest on his limb. She brushed a bit of hair from her eyes and he leaned in to kiss her neck. Something was off about Bella, though. Alice was obviously correct when she said Bella hadn't been feeling well, lately. She looked almost too pale, even though her skin had always been extremely translucent. Her hair looked thicker; longer and a lot more curls were visible than I remembered.

"Erm, if you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom," Bella muttered and quickly got out of Edward's lap. Alice nodded from my right to Edward. Wait! Paler, feeling queasy, using the bathroom at---I checked my watch---early hours of the morning. Is my daughter pregnant?! Oh my God! I would just die if she made me a grandma at thirty-six, though I can't say I'm entirely opposed to the idea. I would love to have little golden eyed brunettes and bronze mops runaround our condo and play at the beach in the sunshine! Oh, think of the photo opportunities!

Edward's expression fell in the corner of my eye. I turned and stared in puzzlement at him. As if reading my thoughts, he turned his body and smiled half-heartedly at me. This is strange. Are they not happy with each other? My baby definitely does not need to get married if she is not one hundred percent happy with this boy. Edward's eyes almost immediately became alarmed from looking at my expression. Before anything could be said, Bella walked back into the room and back onto Edward's lap. She looked better, a little color on her cheeks, and was she wearing mascara? I swear, I can't tell if she always looks this good or if Alice's makeover habits had rubbed off on her.

"So, Bella! Catch me up on your life!" I prompted.

"Well," she said, "not much has changed since we talked last week on the phone, Mom."

"Oh, of course," I chuckled. "We do talk often. Had any hot dates?" I smirked.

"Not appropriate to talk about, Mom, thanks." She brushed off the topic.

I smiled warmly when Edward grabbed her hand and kissed the underside of her wrist, where her pulse would be strongest. One heart beats for the two of them, obviously.

"We're home!" trilled from the front door. I looked up to see Esme and the other sister---Rose? Rosette? Something flowery---walk through with multicolored shopping bags.

"Oh Bella! I see you're feeling better!" Esme said as she sat on the chair next to a window.

"Yes, Edward is a wonderful doctor when need be," she smirked and playfully kissed her fiancée on the cheek.

"Oh sure, you talk about your sex-life with Esme! I see how it is!" I teased, still waiting for my beautiful daughter to blush scarlet, but it never came.

"Shut up, Mom." Bella winked in my direction.

"Okay," Rosalind interjected. "Not that I want to break up this love fest, because I really do enjoy hearing about my sibling's sexcapades, but we've got a mission, dammit. We've gotta get this place ready for a wedding. Let's do this!"

"Huh?" Bella asked from the couch with a puzzled look on her face.

Alice smiled evilly at her, "I brought her up here early so she can help us decorate the house for the wedding! Isn't this wonderful?!" She giggled animatedly at the look on Bella's face.

My daughter never was one for the frills and poufs.

"What about Phil?" Bella asked.

"Oh, no need to worry about him, honey. He knew you'd want him here for the wedding, so he's taking a flight out tonight. We have to pick him up at 9:30 tomorrow," I assured her.

"So let's go already!" The blond sister, Rosalind….Rosie…something…shouted. "I've got things to do later."

"Huh." I muttered as Esme walked in front of me. "She sure is the dedicated type."

Esme turned around to smile at me, "Yes, you'll soon learn that that's all just part of Rosalie's charms."

Rosalie! I knew it was flowery!

~~Two hours later~~

"Okay, the white gauze goes over there. Yes, Rose, delicately drape it over the arch. Make sure you weave it so the Calla Lilies are visible.

We'd been working tirelessly for the last two hours. It seemed Alice was also the designer of the family, so naturally she was in charge of making sure everything was where it's supposed to be. I sent a prayer of thanks to the Gods that she was nice enough to give Bella and Rose most of the work. I don't think Esme or I would have the strength. At least it wasn't hot.

"You know," I murmured to Bella. "It seems a little strange that you, the bride, are out here decorating for your own wedding."

Bella laughed humorlessly. "To Alice today, Mom, I'm not the bride, I'm just another soldier in the regiment.

Magically, Alice heard Bella's whispered comment, even though she was all the way across the yard. Her spiky head whipped around to glare at Bella. "You'll be singing a different tune tomorrow when everyone in the audience cannot get over how beautiful your wedding is. I cannot wait to see the look on Jessica and Lauren's faces. They'll be so jealous." Alice cackled evilly and walked to help out Rosalie.

"Who are Jessica and Lauren?" I asked Bella.

She turned her head and sighed in recognition. "Frankly? They're the queen bitches of the school who have some insane grudge against me because Edward dated me and not them; even though I moved here almost two years after the Cullens and he had plenty of chances to get with them. Alice said I have to invite them out of courtesy, because pretty much everyone else in the town is coming, or something like that," she finished with a heavy sigh.

I was bewildered. Since when did my daughter cuss? "That's not a very nice thing to say about someone, Bella." I admonished.

"Um, Mom? You'll forgive me when you meet them tomorrow, trust me," she laughed. "Oh," she squeaked and jumped from her chair. "Edward!"

I looked to see his pale figure walk out the back French doors. "Bella?" he called before she jumped into his arms. I noticed the keys in his hands glinting off the glass. "Go get dressed. I'm taking you to our spot," he said.

Bella's entire face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. Much quicker and more graceful than someone who had clumsy tendencies in their life should be able to move, she ran into the house. He nodded his head my way when she came back down in jeans and an emerald green sweater. Grabbing his hand and tugging him through the door, Bella called out a simple, "Be back later!" and they were gone. I faintly heard a car's engine rev from around the front of the house and heard the tiressquealing down the driveway.

"Their spot?" I questioned quietly.

It was Rosalie who answered me. "Yes," she smiled. "When we moved here, Edward was very lonely. I'm assuming you know that I am with Emmett and Alice is with my twin, Jasper?" I nodded and she continued. "Well, yes. Here was Edward, alone in a house full of perfect couples. He went exploring around the woods a lot and found this magnificent clearing in the middle of the woods. Whenever everything just became too much, Edward would go there. When Bella moved here and they got together, he took her there for their. . . second date, you could say. Mind you, Edward had never taken anyone there before, and no one in our family has been. The Meadow, they call it, is located on our property, and is too far into the woods anyway, so people don't trespass. It has become more or less their spot. It's all very sweet," she smiled at the end.

I had to admit that, in the beginning, I could have killed Bella for making the same mistake I did and getting engaged at eighteen. She was so independent! She didn't need a boy tying her down and ruining any future prospects. Now, though, seeing how happy she was with him, I knew she was making the right choice. Our hearts can rest easy, for she won't be tied down with Edward. Whatever they do, I know they'll do it together.

It's not like I could do anything to stop them, though. The little lovers are attached by their heartstrings.

**~*~BPOV~*~**

"Sorry," Edward apologized as we drove down the road. "I wanted to go and visit our meadow today. It's easier to run, but your mother would have gotten suspicious if we didn't take the car."

I rolled my eyes and leaned across the console to kiss him on the cheek. "It's fine, Edward. I can't do this while we're running, anyway." I grinned as I trailed my hand up his leg.

Edward hissed sharply. "Save that for when we get out of the car, love."

"No, I don't think I will," I murmured as I grazed my nails across his crotch, causing him to jerk and swerve the car.

"You are not being very nice," he muttered.

I smirked and raised my eyebrow as if to say 'Since when do I play nice?'

Edward got the message. The Volvo sped up to an almost breakneck speed and fishtailed onto the shoulder next to the path that lead to the meadow.. My door was wrenched open, and before we knew it, the both of us were running as fast as vampiricly possible to the meadow.

Still being a newborn, I beat him, just barely. The beautiful wildflowers that normally greeted us were buried under the sparse wintry ground, not yet tall enough to rear their heads.

A pair of strong hands encircled around my waist, and before I could blink, my back was pressed against a tree. Edward's pillow soft lips met mine in a frenzied kiss. He growled when I denied him entrance to my mouth. "I need you, now."

You don't have to ask me twice. I quickly unhooked his belt and yanked down his pants, leaving him with nothing on.

"Planning a special surprise?" I teased.

"Maybe, yeah." Edward agreed as he ripped my blouse to shreds.

"Alice will kill you," was all I could get out.

"I think I'll live. She's worked too hard on the wedding to not have a groom," he said while I deftly unbuttoned his white oxford. My nails raked down and up his back and into his hair. A quiet moan escaped him and he attached his mouth to mine again. Lips trailed down my neck and to my collarbone. Edward repeated the circuit three times before finally plunging one finger into my, most likely, dripping pussy.

"Ahhhh," I moaned.

"You like it like that?" he asked. "When my fingers fuck your wet pussy up against a tree?" Edward said dirtily.

"More," I pleaded.

While my eyes were still closed, Edward removed his fingers before I got too close to the edge and swiftly entered me. My eyes popped open as we found our familiar rhythm.

"I feel like it's been days, not hours." I whimpered.

"Every wait feels like years to me, love." Edward whispered as we both fell over the edge.

Rather than get dressed, Edward slid down my body and leaned against the miraculously still-intact tree, pulling me down into his lap.

"Thank you," he murmured. "That was as equally amazing as every other time, but I still feel the need to thank you for being with me. You so willingly give yourself every day, and I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to be with me and become my wife, so everyday can be like today. I love you so much, Bella." Edward whispered. I sucked in a sharp gasp. I am such a horrible person. I dreamt of being with another man. Even though the concept horrified me, I still dreamt of it. Here Edward was, declaring his love for me again, like he had millions of times before, and I'd lied to him about this?!

I have to tell Edward.

"Are you alright, love?" Edward's concerned voice asked. The corner of my mouth turned up half-heartedly. He's still freaked that I'd turned to stone around him, again.

I might if I told him.

"Yeah, fine. I'm fine," I dismissed.

"There's something bothering you," he insisted with narrowed eyes. "Is there anything bothering you?"

"No, of course not." I said with a shrug.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I took a deep breath, "Okay, yes. There is something bothering me."

He smiled encouragingly at me. "Alright then, let's hear it."

I lost my nerve. "You know what? Just forget about this. It's not that important," I dismissed before getting out of his arms and searching for our scattered clothes.

"Bella, stop." Edward placed a hand on my arm and pulled me back into his lap, and like the coward I was, I buried my head in his chest so I wouldn't have to see his face.

"Yes, Edward. Something is bothering me. Something is bothering me greatly, but I don't know how you'll take it, and I'm afraid to tell you for fear of what is bothering me coming true."

"Bella, no one. . ." he started. "Nothing could ever make me be so mad at you that it could affect our relationship. I might be a little peeved at you, for lack of a better phrase, but I'd never stay that way for long. I want you to know that."

I sighed and closed my eyes, preparing myself to tell him. So trusting, Edward is. . . "Alright. I remembered a dream from when I was in my trance." I began cautiously.

"Okay. I'm not sure how that's a bad thing, but continue." Edward said.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." I mumbled. "In my. . .dream, I had these memories, I guess you could call them? Anyway, my memories were of perfectly normal things for couples. Two were of couples getting married, one in our backyard and one on a beach. I had a memory of a couple watching---well, enduring---a movie, of a guy kissing a girl's neck, and of one couple having intimate relations on a car." I swallowed back some venom pooling in my throat, bewildered on how I could be so calm about this.

"Okay, some coupley things were happening in your dream. Why is that bad? The car thing seems kinda fun," he teased and bumped my shoulders. Upon seeing the look on my face, his smile slowly slipped away. "What is it?"

I closed my eyes and gulped some more venom. I somehow got the courage to say it.

"Because in the dreams, I was with Emmett, and I walked in on you and Rose on my car. And Edward?" I asked almost silently. "It broke my heart to see that no one thought twice about it."

**~*~EPOV~*~**

I could see why the dreams haunted Bella, and I wouldn't lie. It made my venom boil and my dead heart clench to think about her with Emmett, or anyone else for that matter. And the thought of Rose and I… well let's just say if I could vomit, I would have right then.

I pulled Bella's stiff body into my arms and kissed her forehead, knowing this was my chance for redemption. To show her she was right in marrying me, even if I had a hard time standing up to the pixie. "It's okay, love, it was all just a dream. A horrible gut wrenching dream, I might add, but just a dream. And that, I promise you, will never ever come true."

Bella smiled weakly up at me, hugging me tight to her before I helped her off the ground and we got dressed and made our way back to the house.

**~*~BPOV~*~**

My wedding day dawned with ominous looking grey clouds in the sky, but I had a more dependable weatherman than KING 5's Rich Marriot—I had Alice. I wasn't concerned as I gazed out the window of my bedroom at Charlie's house. _My former bedroom_, I amended to myself, causing a thrill of excitement to sweep my body. It was stupid that I hadn't been allowed to stay with Edward the night before, but everyone—and by everyone, I mean Alice and my mother—insisted that we stick to tradition.

"_It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding,"_ Renee had said, Alice nodding solemnly at her side, both of them with their hands on hips.

_Whatever._ It hadn't been worth it to me to argue with them, and it wasn't like it kept Edward from spending the night squished against me in my tiny twin bed. It turned out that there was something to be said about small beds. _All that pressing together_…how we managed to not ravage each other all those nights he spent in my bed prior to my transformation, I'll never know. I have no doubt that even had we been capable of sleeping, we wouldn't have gotten any.

_My wedding day_, I thought again with a sigh.

No wedding day jitters for me. No, sir. I was all bright smiles and serenity, happy to finally become Mrs. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Already my mate, my eternal love, we were going to be tied to one another in every way—both human and vamp—possible, and with my father walking me down the aisle while my mother and all of my closest friends—again, both human and vamp—looked on as witnesses…my life was complete.

With lots to be accomplished for the day, I shook myself from my reverie, closed the window my husband-to-be recently exited out of, and started my day with an elation that threatened to float away. _Who needed Red Bull when you have all-consuming joy?_

~//~

The moment I had been waiting for was finally at hand. Alice, my maid of honor, along with my bridesmaids, Rose and Angela, had helped me get ready, and I looked radiant. As I stood with my father at the top of the stairs, out of sight of the assembled guests seated below, for the first time in my life I couldn't deny that I looked as beautiful as I felt.

…_dum-dum-duh-dum, dum-dum-duh-dum, dum-dum-duh-duh-duh-dum, dum-dum-duh-dum…_

I heard our guests stand as Wagner's _Bridal Chorus_ trilled, and Alice started her procession down the stairs. In moments I would be standing in front of my Edward. I took a deep breath that I didn't need, calmed myself and found my center. At my side, Charlie started to fidget. I turned to him with a soft smile on my face—I knew this was hard for him—and looked at him expectantly.

"Well, it's almost time. I just want you to know that…well, I'm real proud of you, Bells. That boy loves you, and I know you love him. I've never seen two people more in love, but marriage takes more than love. It's a lot of hard work, but I have no doubt that you two are willing to put in the effort.

"It's time, are you ready?"

I started to take Charlie's arm, and then stopped pulling him into a crushing hug, I reassured him, "I love you, Daddy. Thank you…for everything."

Releasing him, I took his arm with mine and gazed up at him. He patted my hand, his eyes glittering with both unshed tears and unspoken emotion, and said, "That's our cue."

We began our descent down the stairs.

"Easy there, Bells. I don't think he's going anywhere."

If I could have still blushed, I would have. I took a deep breath and slowed down. We were more than halfway down the stairs before I could see his tux-clad form. Everything and everyone faded into the background. He was all I could see. My smile grew impossibly wider, and he returned it with a bright one of his own. We were positively beaming at one another.

I felt myself speed up once again, but a gentle pressure on my arm slowed me down again. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, but was really only about 18 years, Charlie was lifting my veil, kissing me on my cheek and slipping my hand into Edward's.

Despite the amazing capacity of my vampire mind, I don't remember much of the ceremony outside of staring into Edward's eyes. I know I said my vows, and I vaguely remember Edwards lips moving, repeating the words Angela's father, who officiated the ceremony, recited, but if you were to ask me the ceremony went from my father handing me off to Edward, to Edward plunging his hand in my curls before planting a searing kiss on my lips.

And, just like that, we were married.

~//~

My dress was bustled, and, all too soon, we were swept apart and standing at the back of the house as guests swept past us in a blur as they moved through the reception line. I tried my best to focus on the 'thank yous' and our guests with their well wishes but, each time I had to tear my eyes from Edward's, I grew more and more annoyed. I just wanted to enjoy him alone, to be locked away with him and devour him, but we had obligations.

As we were guided over to cut our cake, Edward caught my eyes with his. 'Only a few more hours,' they said. 'It can't come soon enough,' mine answered. We smiled fake smiles, full of real love as we delicately stuffed the smallest bites of dry, cardboard tasting cake into each other's mouths that we could get away with, and then we were swept away for our first dance as husband and wife.

"How are you feeling this evening, Mrs. Cullen?"

"Blissfully, delightfully and impossibly happy? And you, Mr. Cullen?"

"Better than that, I can assure you, but words seem to fail me in your presence."

He kissed me then, a scorching, soul-searing kiss that held a promise of what would come as soon as we were alone, before we were pulled apart—Edward to dance with Esme and me to dance with Charlie. As the night continued on in this manner, Edward and I only catching brief moments and parts of kisses with one another before we were dragged away for this or that, I wondered if we would even make it to the hotel in Seattle before we ripped each other's clothes off and ravaged each other.

If I had to judge by the glimpses I had of Edward that throughout the night, my guess would be a resounding no…and I was perfectly okay with that.

My eyes lingered on Edward's as my hand was gripped by my newest dancing partner, I wasn't aware of whose arms I was in until seconds after the dance started and I caught the foul smell of wolf. _Jacob._ Alarmed, I turned my head towards him with inhuman speed, stealing a look at Edward to make sure no one noticed me let down my human facade. He shook his head imperceptibly, and I noticed the tension in his shoulders.

Offering him a small smile, I turned my attention to Jacob.

"You came." It was a statement, not a question.

"I did," he confirmed. "I just-ah…wanted to wish you happiness and-ah…say goodbye. I'm really gonna miss you, Bells. You're my best friend, and if that bloo…if he makes you happy, then, well…"

I stopped dancing and threw my arms around his neck. Hugging him fiercely, I said, "Thank you, Jake. That means so much to me. Thank you."

Suddenly, Edward was at my side. "Bella."

It was almost time to go.

"Well, I'll see ya later, Bells," he said to me, sadness showing in his eyes. And then, in a move that surprised me and proved to me that you can teach old dogs…well, wolves new tricks, Jake reached out and shook Edwards's hand. "I know you love her, but you better take care of her. Congratulations, man."

If Edward was surprised, he didn't show it. He simply clasped Jake's elbow as he pumped their joined hands once, and sincerely thanked him.

~//~

My garter and bouquet both tossed—going to Mike and Angela, in that order—it was finally time to go. Renee hugged her new son–in-law, Charlie shook his hand, and then they were both hugging me as I sobbed tearlessly into their joined shoulders. Charlie, ever wary and impotent feeling around crying females, handed me off to Edward and said, "Take care of her, son."

The tears he had been keeping at bay the whole day, slipped out as he walked off into the darkened yard, followed by Sue Clearwater, and I stopped sobbing because I knew he was going to be okay. Edward ushered me to the condom and designer shoe sporting Vantage amidst cheers and tossed grains of rice.

We slipped into the car with a wave to our loved, and not-so loved, ones, and then we were on our way; holding hands as we set off to start our lives as husband and wife.

* * *

The end!


	23. Finally authors note

**Final authors note for the v-day countdown**

**I know, I am totes an air head,I completely forgot to post this. My bad. But here it is anyway!**

Well, finally that collab is done – What a monster it was – I am going to post it all as ONE story posting- collab only- not the one shots, and title it "Life's lil ups and downs'. This should be posted this week – so If you have yet to read it from start to finish, you should def check it out.

As some of you may or may not know this collab began with the Halloween countdown and continued the storyline through the Christmas and V-day one, till the end.

This way you will be able to read it all – in one place- from start to finish. Enjoy!

And, once again I need to thank the readers for all their support and kind words. You guys are just the greatest.

Also, I can't forget the girls who participated in this countdown, you all have been super fun to work with and get to know. Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing your creative genius with me. Mwah~

**Next countdown??? Read note at the end of this.**

**V-day Collab participants**

**1-Lindsi loolabell - **kk, so another countdown has come to an end and yet again I've had so much fun taking part. All the usual thanks need to be handed out, to the other authors for helping make it something good, the readers for taking the time to read, they're the most devoted fans ever *lip quiver's* they...they...they *sobs* leaves such wonderful reviews and love to us writers and bring a smile to our faces. Breath of Twilight...for being such an inspiration and letting us strays in and giving us a safe and loving home...*bawls like a baby* And I'd like to thank my family....oh sorry, I thought this was the BAFTA's 

Seriously, much love to you all and you're stuck with my fluffy lemony ass for tha next one...then from there I can start to put my plan in place for world domination Mwah ha ha ha ha, Mwah ha ha ha ha.

:0)

**2 -Breath-of-twilight** – Hi all, I will be continuing my one shot –Black Sunday –or Twisted Fool's Day. The choice is yours. I have a poll up on my profile for you to make your choice known. So make sure to put me on authors alert and vote – here is the summary for Black Sunday.

_**Darkangelward and Awkwardella meet on earth - where Edward has been banished to. He despises humans and all of their pathetic weaknesses. How can he overcome his dark distaste for the vile creatures when he is forced to help Bella find her way, so he can return home? And once he does, is home what he originally thought it was?**_

_**OR**_

_**Twisted Fool's Day from the april Fool's countdown. Here is the summary for it. Well, a loose one.**_

_**Edward is a Prince of the Underworld. Bella is his initiation, his chance to become King. Everything seems perfect to Edward with Bella by his side, but when Bella does something he never expected, can Edward find a way for them to survive and salvage whatever duration their lives may still have?**_

**3 -Lauren Danielle - **I just wanted to say thank you to all of the readers. I have never done anything like this and it was such a joy to do! Also, a HUGE thanks to Breath-Of-Twilight for being my first ever beta!!!!!!!! Thanks again!!!!!!!!

**Love, Lauren**

**4-Spykid18**

**5 -Wisher Tales**

**6 -I'mwiththevampires08**

**8 -HunterHunting**

**9 -AmeryMarie - **Just want to again thank Kelli for putting this all together. I also participated in the Christmas Countdown and had a lot of fun doing both. Thanks to my beta's, the LoD girls, the other authors and, most importantly, all of the people who read and reviewed. Have a great year!

**10 -IrunwithCullens316**

**11 -BellaRosa17 - **Hey, guys. I like all the reviews I've read. I really appreciate it. I wanted to join this countdown, since I didn't have a valentine, I decided Bella should get hers. I kinda put a bit of my cynicism and how I think of Valentine's Day. I never had a boyfriend around the day so I put a bit of my bias into the character. But anyway, I also want to thank Breath-of-Twilight or as I call her, Kelli for helping me get through writing my one shot. She really helped me and for that I am grateful.

I'm just thankful to be a part of Kelli's countdown. I hope all you readers have a Happy Valentine's Day!

**Authors who participated in the countdown but not the collab notes:**

**Snshyne:** Uhm...Just a thanks to readers and Kelli for hosting.

I also have a mini-fic-series starting March 1st. It's called Public Relations. I had fun!

**Countdown to April Fool's –**

As you likely know, this is already up and almost over. If you didn't know. Go take a look, there are some wonderific one shots posted.

Thanks for joining us on this amazing ride!

Mwah~

XX

PS. There will be no more countdown until Halloween again. So keep your eyes open for it or put me on authors alert so you don't miss it!


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